Akatsuki Baby
by Mei-chan4
Summary: When Itachi finds a baby, the Akatsuki become her family. Will the group of feared S-class criminals be able to handle such a small child? When she meets the younger brother of her most important person, will she be able to choose sides?
1. A New Member

Author's note: This is my first fanfic in a long time. It's actually my first one in five years. This is the product of my friend and mine's boredom. Please review and tell me what you think of it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto so hah no one can sue me! I only own Emiko and the storyline. And I'm a poor college student so if you sue me, you ain't getting anything but my textbooks.

Itachi sighed as he popped his neck for the thousandth time. It had been his first mission as a member of Akatsuki and he was exhausted. His partner was rather talkative and had refused to give Itachi a moment of peace.

"So, Itachi-san, what do you think of the Akatsuki so far?" Kisame asked his younger partner.

Itachi shrugged. "It's not much different from being and Anbu."

The two continued trudging through the forest until they finally reached the large boulder that hid the Akatsuki's hideout. Kisame and Itachi began to do the hand signs to move the boulder when Itachi noticed something in the grass.

"Kisame, stop."

Kisame watched curiously as Itachi made his way over to the long grass. He couldn't see what Itachi was doing until Itachi stood up and turned towards Kisame. Kisame's mouth dropped open.

"Itachi-san, what is that?"

Itachi looked down at the small bundle of blankets he held in his arms. He moved one of the blankets aside and revealed the contents to Kisame.

"It appears to be a baby, Kisame."

The baby was sleeping. It had chubby baby cheeks and its small hands were incased in small pink mittens. Small wisps of black hair stuck out from under the blanket. The baby shifted uncomfortably in Itachi's strong grip.

"What should we do with it, Itachi-san? Is it a spy?"

Kisame was now standing by Itachi, looking down at the baby cautiously. He poked the baby's chubby cheek repeatedly, waiting to see if it would attack.

Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes and held the baby in an odd hug so that his hands were free. He glared at Kisame, waiting for him to do the hand signs. Finally, the two made their way into the hideout.

The hallways were dark, lit only by a few torches along the way. Towards the entrance it was quiet but as the trio got closer to the center of the hideout, they could hear the voices of the other members.

Itachi opened the door to the main area of the hideout, balancing the baby in one arm. He walked in and plopped the baby on Hidan's lap.

"What the fuck is this thing?!"

Hidan took the baby out of the blankets and held it up by one of it's small legs. He shook it around a little, trying to get the other member's attention. He glared at it when the baby began screaming at the top of it's tiny lungs, it's onyx eyes now open and filling with tears.

Konan looked up from her origami and squealed. She ran over to Hidan and scooped the baby up into her arms. She cooed softly to it, trying to calm it down.

"That would be a baby, you idiot." Kakazu answered.

Hidan glared. "I know what the fuck it is. What the fuck is Itachi doing with a baby and why the fuck did he bring it here."

"Don't use that language in front of HER! It's not an it you heathen." Konan continued to rock the baby back and forth while chastising Hidan.

At this point the other members had migrated into the main area, curious about the yelling and sounds of a baby.

Tobi bounded over to Konan and began tickling the baby's tummy. Zetsu stared at it curiously, debating whether it would be wise to try and steal the baby from Konan. The glare he received from her told him no. Deidara sat on the couch watching Tobi make a fool of himself and Sasori was completely unfazed by the new arrival. Orochimaru grinned evilly at the baby; he was already planning on the best way to steal the baby after taking Itachi's body.

"Would somebody care to explain to me why there is a baby in our hideout?"

Pein stood in the doorway, looking less than pleased. He walked over to Konan, ignoring how she held the baby closer to her. He roughly grabbed the baby away from Konan and glared at it. Pein loathed babies. He had killed many babies just for hiccupping when he was annoyed. There was no way he was going to allow this weak baby stay in his hideout.

The baby girl looked at Pein and giggled. She reached up with one of her mitten covered hands and pulled on Pein's lip piercing. She giggled when she saw his eye twitch and blew a spit bubble at him.

Konan carefully approached Pein and stood beside him.

"Can we keep her, Pein?"

"Hell no! I don't want that fucking thing here! It's evil!"

"But Tobi likes the baby! It makes funny faces!"

Pein took in a deep breath and looked back down at the baby. He turned his gaze over to Itachi and Kisame.

"Where did you find her?"

Itachi nodded his head towards the entrance.

"She was outside hidden in the grass. Nobody was around."

Pein looked at Konan's hopeful face and sighed.

"We'll keep the baby for now. However, everyone will have to help take care of her and she becomes to troublesome, I'll kill her."

Konan clapped her hands and took the baby from Pein.

"If I may ask, Pein-sama, why are we taking this baby in?" Sasori asked, watching Konan with mild interest.

"I don't want that fucking thing in here!"

"We can raise her to be completely loyal to Akatsuki. When she gets a little older, we can send her into the villages to gather information. Who in their right mind would suspect a child."

Konan sat down on the couch in between Hidan and Sasori, cooing to the small baby. Suddenly, her head shot up.

"We need supplies! She'll need blankets, a crib, clothes, bottles, milk, diapers, and wipes! Itachi, Kisame, Hidan, and Kakazu, you four go get the supplies."

Hidan was forcibly dragged from the hideout, cursing the whole way.

The four men wandered through the town, grabbing anything baby related. In two hours they had found a crib, a few blankets, a changing table, the food, and diapers and wipes. They were currently looking at clothes for the baby and Hidan was pitching a fit.

"That is too much fucking pink! Why does the damn thing need so much pink?!"

Kisame rolled his eyes and picked up another pink onesies. He threw it at Kakazu who put it in the cart with about fifteen other similar outfits.

Itachi was milling about the story, thinking about how he had gone shopping with his mother when she was pregnant with Sasuke. Now that he thought about it, the baby looked similar to Sasuke. He paused at the stuffed animal display. A small white weasel had caught his eye. He picked it up and carried it over to the check out line, where the other three were purchasing the clothes.

The four men walked out of the store and made their way to the hideout. Once they were inside, they could hear the baby screaming. The four rushed into the main area where Sasori, of all people, was trying to calm the baby. Zetsu glared at the four men.

"What took you so long? She's been crying for almost an hour now."

Konan ran over to Hidan and snatched the bag with the bottles and milk formula from him. She scampered into the connecting kitchen and began heating up the milk.

"Here, hold her."

Sasori handed the wailing baby over to Deidara who looked at her with disdain. He held the small baby under the arms and gently bounced her up and down.

The baby looked at Deidara and giggled. She blew a spit bubble at him to show her approval.

Deidara grinned, proud with himself at making the baby stop crying for the moment.

"She's not so bad once you get used to her. She's actually kinda cute."

Konan came back into the room and the Akatsuki sat around to watch Konan feed the baby.

"So what she we call her?" Tobi asked.

"I vote for brat."

Konan glared at Hidan while she fed the baby.

"Oh Tobi knows! Tobi knows!"

"What, Tobi?" Zetsu asked warily.

"We should name her Rrrrrrrrrr!"

Everyone was silent for a minute.

"What about Hana?"

"Just because you're a plant doesn't mean she needs a plant name."

The group continued to debate. Konan had finished feeding the baby and handed her to Hidan.

Hidan glared at the baby in his arms.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with this thing?"

Konan frowned.

"You need to burp her. Just gently pat her on the back. You need to bond with her anyways."

Hidan glowered at the small baby and put her over his shoulder. He gave her a rough slap to the back and then let out a shriek.

"What the fuck is this shit all over me!?"

The other's held back a their laughter.

"You usually should put a towel over your shoulder in case the baby spits up." Orochimaru said.

"So this is fucking baby vomit all over me!? Does this shit even come out!?"

"Emiko."

Everyone looked at Itachi. Itachi merely nodded his head toward the small baby that Hidan was holding away from him. She was smiling and giggling, seeming to take joy in the Jashin worshippers distress.

"Tobi likes that name! Tobi thinks Emiko-chan looks like an Emiko-chan!"

"Now that the name is settled we need to decide where she is going to sleep tonight."

"She can sleep in my room."

The group looked at the Uchiha curiously. He ignored them and walked over to Hidan, taking Emiko from him.

"I've already put her crib up in my room. We can move it to the next person's room tomorrow."

Emiko yawned sleepily in Itachi's arms, closing her onyx eyes slowly. She could vaguely feel people patting her on the head, a flick on her ear, and a gentle kiss on her forehead. She felt Itachi changing her into her new pajamas and then being placed gently in the crib.

Itachi placed the small weasel plushie in Emiko's crib. He hid a small smile as he watched one of her tiny hands close over one of the weasel's ears. He stroked her patch of black hair in an almost loving manner.

He crawled into his bed and blew out the small candle on the nightstand.

"Good night, Emiko-chan."


	2. The First Year

_Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter! I forgot to put this at the end of the chapter but Emiko means smiling child encase anyone was curious. Not much else to say so on with the second chapter! _

Itachi fell unceremoniously out of his bed when he heard Emiko's piercing cry. Quickly he scrambled up and grabbed a kunai, looking around for any intruders. He relaxed when he saw no one was in the room. He dragged himself over to the crib where Emiko was screaming.

"Emiko-chan, you need to sleep."

Emiko continued screaming at the top of her little lungs. She flailed her arms in the air, reaching for Itachi.

Itachi sighed and picked her up. He rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down. After five minutes with no change, he let out a low growl. Itachi opened the door to his room and made his way towards the kitchen.

Finally reaching the kitchen, Itachi slammed the refrigerator open and grabbed a bottle. He held it to Emiko's lips and watched her drink the bottle dry. He had to hide a smirk at how Emiko held onto the side of the bottle for dear life, fighting Itachi when he tried to take it away. He finally removed the bottle from Emiko's grasp. He looked around before finding a towel and placing it over his shoulder. Itachi carefully patted Emiko's back, waiting for the small burp.

Emiko looked up at Itachi giggling happily. She sleepily reached up towards him, patting his cheek with her small hands. She felt herself being carried away and then being placed back in her crib. She turned her head to the side to watch what Itachi was doing. When she saw he had crawled back into his bed, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. 

And so, the next three months passed by in a similar manner. Emiko was moved from room to room, spending time with each member. She seemed to recognize all the different members, making different noises or faces depending on who was near her. When Konan or Pein would walk into the room, Emiko would smile and reach out to them. If it was Itachi she let out a small giggle. Kisame and Zetsu were blown tiny spit bubbles. Kakazu got clapping hands while Tobi would receive flailing arms. Deidara got a squeal of happiness and Sasori would be pointed at with a tiny index finger. Orochimaru was on the receiving end of many glares. 

As for Hidan, he swore the small baby was out to get him. Whenever he came anywhere near her, she would cry and kick her legs in his direction. When it was Hidan's turn to have Emiko in his room, she would cry for hours, not letting the Jashin worshipper get any sleep. However, if they tried to put her in someone else's room, she would throw a fit until she was put in Hidan's room. It also seemed that whenever it was Hidan's turn to feed her, he was the only one that got spit up on.

One day, Konan was playing with Emiko in the main room when she let out a shriek.

"Everyone, come here quickly!"

The other members rushed in quickly, fearing the worst. What they saw made them breathe a sigh of relief. 

Konan was helping Emiko sit up. Slowly, Konan removed her hands from Emiko's back, a grin on both Konan and Emiko's face.

Emiko was sitting up without Konan's help. She put her small hands on the ground and began hitting the floor with joy. She grinned proudly up at her family.

"Hooray for Emiko-chan!"

Tobi ran into the room and picked the baby up, swinging her around. Emiko let out a squeal of joy. 

"Tobi, be careful!"

It was getting late so Kisame took Emiko to his room, placing her in her crib. He placed her white weasel toy in the crib beside her. Kisame then crawled into bed, hoping Emiko would sleep through the night.

Kisame was rudely awakened a few hours later by a scream of rage. He looked over at the crib and his eyes widened; Emiko was gone. He ran down the hallway with all the other members to where the scream had come from.

"What happened, Hidan?"

Hidan glared at the other members and pointed at his floor. 

"How the fuck did she get in here?"

Emiko was sitting on Hidan's floor, pulling insistently on his sheets. She glared up at him and kicked her feet on the ground, showing her displeasure at the lack of attention she was receiving. 

The other members had to hide their laughter as Hidan and Emiko had a small glaring contest. The couldn't contain it though when Hidan turned his glare on them.

"Get this fucking kid out of here!"

Konan glared at Hidan and went over to pick up Emiko. She ignored Emiko struggling in her grip and reaching for Hidan.

"Don't curse in front of Emiko-chan!"

Kisame took Emiko from Konan. He carried Emiko back to her crib and placed her in it, giving her a firm look.

"Emiko, you can't just climb out of your crib whenever you feel like it. You need to stay in here and leave Hidan alone."

Emiko frowned and blew a spit bubble for her response. She rolled over onto her side and refused to look at Kisame.

Kisame rolled his eyes.

"You're only a few months old and already you're giving attitude."

Emiko slept through the rest of the night, clutching onto the ear of her weasel. She was awoken in the morning by Kisame picking her up and taking her into the kitchen where everyone else was.

Kisame placed Emiko in her high chair and walked over to the fridge, pulling out her new pink cup with a pink lid on it. He handed it to Emiko, who was now flailing her arms around in excitement.

Konan smiled at the baby then went back to reading the baby book she had had Sasori and Deidara pick up on their last mission.

"According to this, Emiko is probably about five or six months old. Oh, Kakazu, it's your turn to feed her." 

Kakazu sighed an got out the small container with mashed up carrots and a small teaspoon. He sighed and sat down in front of the happy baby.

Emiko frowned when she saw the spoon full of orange gooiness coming towards her. She turned her head to the side and pursed her lips.

Kakazu let out another sigh. He hated trying to feed Emiko.

"Come on, Emiko. Open up for the airplane." Kakazu swirled the spoon around in the air, careful not to drop any. "The airplane needs to land or it's going to crash and cost the company millions."

Emiko laughed. She opened up her mouth and allowed Kakazu to feed her the small spoonful of carrots. 

Kakazu wiped Emiko's mouth with a wet napkin and put the food away. He sat back down to finish his breakfast.

Konan and Tobi were cooing at Emiko, trying to get her to say her first word.

"Emiko, say mommy."

"No, say Tobi!"

Emiko looked back and forth between the two before breaking out into a wide grin. 

"Fuck!"

Everyone fell silent, looking at the small baby girl. They couldn't believe the word that had just come from that tiny, seemingly innocent, mouth.

Konan let out a howl of despair and picked Emiko up out of her high chair, rocking her back and forth. She glared at Hidan over Emiko's head.

"Hidan, look what you've done!"

"How the fuck do you know it was me?"

"You're the only one that curses around her! Now because of you, her first word was…was...that!"

Itachi sighed and took Emiko away from Konan so that Konan could properly throttle Hidan.

Emiko looked up at Itachi and smiled.

" 'Tachi!"

Konan paused in her beating of the Jashin worshipper and squealed in delight.

"She said your name, Itachi!"

About a month later, they decided it was time to let Emiko have solid foods. The first try had been a disaster. Emiko seemed more interested in dropping the food on the floor and throwing it at Hidan. Eventually she got bored with just throwing the food on the ground and focused and throwing it all at Hidan. 

Also, Emiko was now never seen without her stuffed toy weasel. She had taken to calling it I-chan and refused to let go of it. At one point, it was so filthy from being dragged everywhere that Konan took it away while Emiko was sleeping to clean it. Emiko awoke moments later and let out an ear piercing shriek. She wouldn't stop screaming until Konan finally returned the now clean I-chan to her.

Emiko was always there to see the members off when they went off on missions. She would wave her hands happily and babble out what sounded like 'bye'.

She crawled everywhere as well. Whoever had her in their room that night had to lock the door so she wouldn't crawl out and into Hidan's room. She also demanded a story every night before she went to bed. 

It had now been one whole year since the group had adopted Emiko into their bizarre family. Emiko was now able to walk by herself, falling only occasionally. She could even feed herself (though she did still like to throw her food at Hidan). 

Konan decided to throw Emiko a birthday party. She ordered Sasori and Orochimaru to go and get a cake and candles, while she forced the others to decorate the lair.

Emiko was thrilled with the attention she was receiving. She had gotten a new pink party dress and a small pink ribbon for her growing black hair. Emiko wandered over to Konan, who was blowing up balloons.

"Mama."

She held I-chan out to Konan, looking at her expectantly. When she saw Konan wasn't understanding her, she pulled on her ribbon.

Konan smiled and hugged Emiko. 

"You are just too cute! Here, let me see I-chan."

Emiko handed I-chan to Konan and watched in fascination as her mother tied the pink ribbon around her favorite toys neck. She smiled when Konan handed her I-chan back.

"Thank you, Mama!"

Emiko hobbled over to Pein and watched him put up a banner.

"Papa?"

Pein looked down at Emiko before picking her up so she could see the banner.

"It says 'Happy Birthday Emiko'."

Emiko grinned proudly and pointed at herself.

"Me!"

She squealed in delight when she heard the rock to the lair move. Emiko wiggled out of Pein's grasp and ran over to the entrance, falling only a few times. She grabbed onto Sasori's leg and hugged it tightly.

"Danna!"

Sasori balanced the cake in his hands and patted Emiko on the head. He slowly made his way towards the main area to put the cake down, Emiko still attached to his leg.

Orochimaru laughed.

"Don't I get a hello, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko glared at Orochimaru from around Sasori's leg and stuck out her tongue.

"Bad Hebi!"

Orochimaru merely smirked following Sasori into the main area.

That night, everyone (yes even Itachi!) had a good time. Emiko blew out her one candle on the first try and she was very proud of herself. She got new clothes and new toys. She even got to smash cake in Hidan's face.

Finally, she was ready to go to bed. It was Orochimaru's turn to keep her and she began struggling when he picked her up. She looked pleadingly at Itachi and reached out towards him.

"Stay with 'Tachi."

Itachi shook his head.

"That's tomorrow night, Emiko."

Emiko began crying as Orochimaru took her to his room and shut the door.

It was late at night when they heard Emiko screaming and the boulder being moved from the entrance. Konan was the first to reach Orochimaru's room. What she saw made her scream and the other members run faster. Konan looked at Pein with tears in her eyes.

"He took Emiko!"

Itachi was the first one to run out of the hideout. He followed Orochimaru's trail closely, leaving the others far behind. He finally caught up to Orochimaru in an open field.

"I was waiting for you, Itachi-kun."

Itachi glared at Orochimaru, his sharingan activated. He looked down in the grass and saw Emiko asleep. He turned his gaze back to Orochimaru.

"What did you do to her?"

"I merely put her under a sleeping jutsu. Don't worry, I would never harm precious Emiko-chan."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to become my new body, Itachi-kun. I'll raise Emiko-chan to be my apprentice."

"Give Emiko-chan to me."

Orochimaru laughed. He got into a fighting stance and was about to lunge at Itachi when the other members arrived.

Konan was furious. She ran over to Orochimaru and grabbed Emiko from beside him. She then quickly went back over to the others, keeping Emiko out of harms way.

Orochimaru sighed. 

"Well, there's no point in fighting all of you. Until next time, Itachi-kun."

They watched him disappear into the night.

"You want me to follow the fucker, Pein?"

Pein shook his head and looked at Konan who was lovingly holding Emiko.

"No. We need to move to a new hideout. Everyone return to the old hideout, get your belongings and then prepare to move out. Oh and Deidara, congratulations on being Sasori's new partner and an official member of Akatsuki."

Deidara nodded silently. The others then did as they were told, making sure to wipe all traces of their existences from the hideout and following Pein to the new one. 

The whole time, Emiko stayed fast asleep, safe in her mother's arms.

Yay! There's the second chapter! So what'd you guys think. Please review and let me know if you have the time! 


	3. Potty Training

_**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that reviewed. To answer one reviewer's question, hebi means snake and danna I believe is loosely translated to master or something like that. It's what Deidara calls Sasori. I do not want to sound like a review monger (I love that word) but here's the thing. I got about one hundred hits on the second chapter…and only three people reviewed. I'm not going to withhold chapters or anything evil like that but I will say one thing; the more reviews I get, the faster I'll update. So there's my little spiel (love that word too) and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**_

"Konan, why the fuck is that brat running around without her diaper?"

Konan sat on the floor, glaring up at Hidan.

"Well, I was reading the baby book and it said that by age two, you should start potty training them."

Itachi walked into the bathroom, Emiko wiggling around in his arms.

"I take it your idea of positive reinforcement didn't work?"

"No, all she did was throw toilet paper at me and flush the toilet."

"You three get out now." Pein walked in, frowning. "I'll get her to use the toilet. I'm sick of changing diapers."

Pein took Emiko from Itachi and shut the door behind him. He placed Emiko on the toilet and sat down on Emiko's small stepping stool. He fixed her with a stern look.

"Emiko, how old are you?"

"I'm two, Papa."

"Who am I, Emiko?"

"You're Papa, Papa."

"Are you supposed to listen to your Papa?"

"Yes Papa."

"Then I, your Papa, order you to use the toilet."

Emiko's lower lip quivered and she began crying. She kicked the toilet and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I don't want to, Papa!"

Pein rubbed his forehead in frustration. He was not used to people disobeying him, especially a small child. He stood up to leave the bathroom. He turned around and gave Emiko another stern look.

"You may not leave this room until you use the toilet."

Pein shut the door, ignoring Emiko screaming and kicking the door. He walked into the kitchen, sitting at the table with all the other members. He looked around the table.

"I'll go." Itachi volunteered.

Itachi walked down the hallway, listening to Emiko's screams getting louder. He finally reached the bathroom door. He opened the door and looked down to see Emiko's red face. He sighed and picked her up, cooing softly to her to calm her down. Slowly, Emiko loosened her tight grip around Itachi's neck but kept her face firmly planted in the crook of his neck. Itachi combed his fingers through her messy hair.

"Why don't you want to use the toilet, Emiko?"

Emiko fiddled with Itachi's cloak.

"I'm scared that Bad Hebi will get me if I use the potty."

"Orochimaru will not get you if you use the toilet."

"But what if I'm using the potty and then Bad Hebi grabs me and drags me through the potty?"

"I promise you he won't get you."

"No, I don't wanna!"

Emiko began screaming again and pounded her small fists on Itachi's chest.

Itachi left the room, signaling Kisame that it was his turn. One by one, all the Akatsuki members tried to convince Emiko to use the toilet, and all of them failed. Hidan came out with a red mark on his cheek. He didn't explain and muttered under his breath about how he really wasn't going to sacrifice 'the damn toy weasel' to Jashin. Kakazu came back into the room sobbing about Emiko flushing his wallet down the toilet. Finally, only Tobi was left.

Tobi skipped merrily down the hallway, the other Akatsuki members following closely behind. They stood outside the closed door, praying Tobi would convince Emiko to use the toilet.

Minutes passed by. They heard Tobi and Emiko talking. Then, the sound of the toilet flushing.

Tobi opened the door, Emiko sitting proudly on his shoulders.

"I went potty on the big kid toilet!"

Konan squealed with joy and pulled Emiko off of Tobi's shoulders, hugging her.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so proud of you. We need to get you big girl underwear now. How would you like Itachi and Kisame to take you shopping tomorrow?"

Emiko clapped her hands excitedly.

Deidara looked at Tobi suspiciously.

"How'd you manage to get her to use the toilet, un?"

Tobi stood up straighter, puffing out his chest proudly.

"I asked Emiko if she wanted to be a good girl and when she said yes I told her only good girls and boys could use the toilet and she must be a bad girl since she couldn't use it."

"I'm a good girl!"

"So can I be a member now?"

Zetsu rolled his eyes.

"No Tobi, so stop asking."

Emiko rubbed her eyes.

"Mama, it's bedtime."

"Okay Emiko, let's go get you ready for bed."

"No, I want Danna to tuck me in."

Konan sighed and handed Emiko over to Sasori.

Sasori made his way down the hall to Emiko's room. He opened the door to her room and gently placed her in her crib. He walked over to Emiko's closet and pulled out a pair of pajamas for Emiko to wear.

Emiko was silent while Sasori dressed her. She knew how impatient he was. Finally, Emiko laid down, clutching I-chan close to her. She snuggled under the covers and frowned when Sasori began to leave.

"Danna, you forgot to give me my night night kiss."

Sasori sighed and walked back over to Emiko, who was now sitting up and pouting. He kissed the top of her head and tucked her back in.

"What about I-chan?" Emiko pouted.

Sasori smiled softly at the two year old and kissed the toy weasel's nose.

"Now go to sleep, Emi-chan."

Just as Sasori was about to walk out of the room and close the door, Emiko called out to him.

"Danna, leave the door open! If you don't, Bad Hebi will get me."

Sasori sighed and left the door slightly ajar, before retiring to his room for the evening.

It was about four in the morning when Hidan was awoken by a weight on his chest. He opened one eye and growled when he saw the perpetrator.

"Emiko, what the fuck are you doing in my room?"

Emiko pouted and idly fiddled with I-chan's ears. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"I had a bad dream. I was using the big kid potty and then Bad Hebi grabbed me and pulled me through the toilet! And then, Danna got killed by a giant ball of pink cotton candy and you got killed by an evil deer and Kaka got killed by a doggy and then Deidei went boom boom 'cause he got angry at the birdie and then 'Tachi tried to poke out birdie's eyes!"

Hidan glared at the distraught toddler.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Go back to your damn room."

Emiko's eyes began watering and she pounded her small fists on Hidan's chest.

"I don't wanna sleep by myself! I'm scared!"

"Then go bother someone who gives a shit."

"Mama is sleeping, Papa is making it rain, Danna and Deidei are arguing about art, 'Tsu is eating somebody, I don't know where Tobi is, 'Same is sleeping, 'Tachi is sleeping and mumbling about his foolish little brother, and Kaka is counting his money."

Hidan sighed before picking Emiko up off his chest. He placed her on the bed and he then pulled the covers up to her chin.

"You wake me up and I'll sacrifice you and your damn weasel to Jashin."

Emiko grinned and snuggled closer to Hidan. She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Night night, Hi-chan!"

Hidan rolled his eyes and absently stroked her hair.

"Yeah yeah."

With that, the immortal Jashin worshipper and tiny toddler fell asleep.

_**Author's Note: So there's chapter three! Please let me know what you thought. Also, incase the nicknames are a little confusing, here's a list of who gets called what by darling little Emiko.**_

_**Itachi'Tachi **_

_**Kisame'Same**_

_**KonanMama**_

_**PeinPapa**_

_**SasoriDanna**_

_**DeidaraDeidei**_

_**TobiTobi (sorry couldn't think of a nickname for him)**_

_**HidanHi-chan**_

_**KakazuKaka**_

_**Zetsu'Tsu**_

_**OrochimaruBad Hebi**_

_**Another quick note, the I in I-chan's name is pronounced like an e, like the I in Itachi's name. **_

_**Look for the next chapter soon!!**_


	4. Shopping with 'Tachi and 'Same

**Author's Note: Well, I've been sick all week. Work is a major drag. The lady I work with is a complete nut case. Anyways here's the next chapter and thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed! **

Hidan was once again rudely awakened by his face being hit repeatedly by a stuffed animal.

"Hi-chan, I gotta go potty!"

Hidan immediately leapt up and ran down the hallway, holding Emiko under his arm like a football. He tossed her into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

Itachi walked up and looked at Hidan before knocking on the bathroom door.

"Emiko, are you in there?"

"I'm going pee pee!"

"Well when your done, go get dressed. Kisame and I are taking you shopping today."

Emiko bolted out of the bathroom after hearing that. She began frantically running around the hideout, looking for Konan.

"Mama, help me get dressed!"

Konan followed Emiko to Emiko's room. Emiko picked out a pink sundress and a pair of black dress shoes. She decided she wanted to wear her hair down. Konan helped her get dressed and led Emiko to the kitchen.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"I want pancakes!"

Deidara walked in and sat next to Emiko, ruffling her hair.

"Why are you so dressed up, Chibi-chan, un?"

"I get to go shopping with 'Tachi and 'Same today!"

Emiko began devouring the pancakes that Konan sat in front of her. She felt Deidara's hand continue patting her head.

"So who's got what duties today, Konan, un?"

"Well, once Itachi and Kisame bring Emiko back, Zetsu and Tobi will take care of her lunch. Then, Pein and I will put her down for a nap. You and Sasori need to wake her up and play with her. Make sure she uses up as much energy as possible. Around that time it should be dinner. Hidan and Kakazu are in charge of her bath today. Could you put her to bed tonight?"

Deidara nodded.

Emiko finished her pancakes and fidgeted while Konan wiped her mouth clean of syrup. She jumped out of her seat and ran straight into Itachi's legs.

"Let's go, 'Tachi! I wanna buy big girl panties!"

Itachi sighed and nodded. He took Emiko's hand and led her to the entrance where Kisame was already waiting. Emiko took Kisame's hand with her free hand and the trio made their way to the closest town.

Time passing

"Why don't you just get these, Emi?"

Emiko shook her head and stomped her foot on the ground.

"No, 'Same! I want the pink ones!"

Itachi glared at the few passersby who stopped to stare at the angry two year old. He looked down at Emiko.

Emiko was clutching a pair of pink panties in her hand while Kisame was trying to convince her to get a simple white pair.

"Kisame, just let her get what she wants."

Kisame frowned and looked up at Itachi.

"But Itachi-san, if we always let her get what she wants, she'll be spoiled."

Itachi raised his eyebrow at Kisame.

"You make it sound like she isn't spoiled already."

Kisame sighed and took the panties from Emiko, grabbing a few more similar pairs. He walked over to the store clerk, giving the woman a firm glare at her questioning gaze.

Emiko was holding Itachi's hand, grinning proudly.

"I'm a big girl now, aren't I, 'Tachi?"

Itachi leaned down and scooped Emiko up into his arms, letting her wrap her arms around his neck.

"Yes, Emiko, you are."

The trio left the store. Emiko was still in Itachi's arms, looking around at the town. It was her first time getting to come to the town and she wanted to take it all in.

Itachi looked down at Emiko and realized just how much she reminded him of Sasuke. She had the same deep onyx eyes and the same raven colored hair. She was always following Itachi everywhere, trying to get him to show her some of his "cool tricks". Her smile even reminded him of Sasuke. Itachi began wondering if Emiko was sent to be some sort of punishment to him.

"What's wrong, 'Tachi?"

Itachi looked at Emiko's worried expression and shook his head.

"It's nothing, Emiko. Where else do you want to go today?"

Emiko's eyes widened. She had never been allowed to go into town before and now she was being asked what she wanted to do. She looked around at all the stands and shops lining the street. She spotted a stand with rows and rows of what looked like….

"I want to go to the candy stand!"

Kisame sighed. He almost felt sorry for Pein and Konan who would now have to try and put a sugar high toddler down for a nap. He didn't say anything and walked beside Itachi as they made their way over to the stand.

Emiko looked thoughtfully at all the candy.

"I want some of that, some of that, and some of those, and one of those things please."

Itachi nodded to the woman who was looking uncertainly at the two men.

"If you don't mind me asking, are you two her…erm…parents?"

Emiko giggled.

"No! This is just 'Tachi and 'Same! Mama and Papa are back home."

The woman breathed a sigh of relief and handed the bag of candy over to Kisame. Kisame was now carrying both bags and he had a feeling that this was how the rest of the morning was going to be.

Emiko remained in Itachi's arms, looking around the town. She frowned when she noticed something.

"'Tachi?"

"What is it, Emiko?"

"How come I never get to play with kids my age?"

Kisame and Itachi looked at each other. It was a heavy debate among the members about whether to allow Emiko to go play with children her age. Konan insisted it was vital for her development while Hidan argued that she might blab their secrets.

"Why don't we get some ice cream, Emi?"

Emiko nodded her head enthusiastically at Kisame.

The trio was now sitting at a small table by the ice cream stand. Itachi had a vanilla cone, Kisame had mint chocolate chip, and Emiko had strawberry.

"Emi, you know you're not like other children, right?"

Emiko looked curiously at Kisame, ice cream dripping down her chin.

"How am I not like other kids? Don't other kids have a mama and a papa?"

Itachi wiped the ice cream off of Emiko's chin with a napkin.

"You know they're not really your biological parents."

"What's that word mean?"

"It means that they are not your birth parents, Emiko."

"I know that! 'Tachi found me and Papa said I could stay. Is that why I can't play with other kids?"

Kisame sighed.

"It's not just that, Emi. We're not…the most liked people in the world."

Emiko looked upset.

"Why not?"

"It's complicated, Emi. All of us have done things in our villages that made people very angry. There are people who want us dead. If you were to play with other kids, you might tell the other kids about us and they might tell their parents. Then we'd all be in trouble and you'd get taken away from us."

Emiko sniffled and then began crying. She dropped her ice cream on the ground but didn't seem to care or notice.

"I don't wanna get taken away from my family!"

Itachi glared at Kisame and put Emiko in his lap. He let her bury her face in his stomach to muffle her sobbing. He stroked her hair soothingly. He felt her shoulders stop shaking so badly and he titled her head up so she looked at him. He wiped the few stray tears that were still falling from her eyes

"No one is going to take you away from us, Emiko. We won't allow it. Do you understand?"

Emiko sniffled one more time and nodded her head. She reached over to Kisame and hugged his arm.

"I don't wanna lose my family. I won't play with any other kids. I'm okay with just playing with you guys."

Kisame patted her head and carefully pried his arm from her grasp. He picked up their bags and watched Itachi cradle Emiko gently to him.

"We should head back now, Emiko. It's almost lunchtime."

Emiko nodded her head and the trio made their way back to the base.

**Sorry I didn't post this chapter sooner. I went up to Georgetown and I met so totally awesome people! I know someone mentioned Emiko and Sasuke's meeting in their review. Don't worry, that'll happen soon, along with her meeting everyone else . So you all have that to look forward to. Don't forget to review. I've already started on the next chapter.**


	5. Lunch with 'Tsu and Tobi

Author's Note: Not much to say for this one

**Author's Note: Not much to say for this one. Just to remind everyone I do NOT own Naruto….just Emiko. Even then, I share joint custody of her with Sakura02. One quick note: when Zetsu's black side is talking it will bold and the white side will be regular. Also, the next few chapters are going to be shorter than the previous ones. These are mostly to show Emiko's relationship with all the members. However, once this little section is done, the real fun begins . So yeah….here ya go! **

Itachi knocked on Zetsu door, holding Emiko in one arm. When Zetsu opened the door, Itachi held Emiko out to him.

"It's time for her lunch."

Zetsu took Emiko out of Itachi's hands and watched her wave bye to the Uchiha. He walked into the main area where Tobi was lounging.

"**It's time to feed Emiko, Tobi."**

Tobi nodded and took Emiko from Zetsu, carrying her into the kitchen. He placed her in her chair and clapped his hands excitedly.

"What would you like to eat, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko thought for a moment, placing I-chan up on the table.

"I want ramen!"

Zetsu frowned.

"That's not healthy, Emiko."

"**Why don't you eat a sandwich?"**

Emiko glared and began kicking her legs, showing her displeasure.

"No, I want ramen!"

"It's okay, Zetsu-san. I can make it for her."

Tobi went about getting down a pot and boiling water. He sat down next to Emiko and picked I-chan up, making him dance around the table. He noticed Emiko staring at him.

"What's wrong, Emiko-chan?"

"Why do you wear a mask, Tobi?"

Zetsu and Tobi froze. Zetsu looked up from putting the noodles in the pot and Tobi put I-chan down.

"Why do you want to know, Emiko?"

Emiko noticed the change in Tobi but pressed on with her questioning.

"Well, I want to see your face. 'Cause sometimes I can see a red eye like what 'Tachi has in the hole in your mask."

Zetsu was growing worried. They had never thought that Emiko would question Tobi wearing a mask. If she got too nosy he didn't know what Tobi would do.

Tobi was silent. Then, he burst into laughter. He ruffled Emiko's hair and began playing with I-chan again.

"You're so silly, Emiko-chan. If you must know, I wear the mask because my face is burned and I don't want to scare anyone. The red eye you see is probably just a trick from the shadows."

"Oh, okay."

With her curiosity quelled, Emiko watched Tobi play with I-chan. Zetsu finished making Emiko's ramen and placed the hot bowl in front of her.

"**Be very careful. It's hot."**

Emiko nodded and picked up her chopsticks. She managed to only get a few noodles at a time. She made slurping noises as she ate. Zetsu sat down and watched as the toddler continued her happy slurping. Tobi smoothed Emiko's hair down.

"Emiko, you love all of us, right?"

Emiko looked up at Tobi, a noodle hanging out of her mouth. He was using the other voice again. She slurped it up and nodded her head.

"Of course I love all of you, Tobi. You're my family."

"Would you do anything to make us happy?"

Emiko had now put down her chopsticks and was giving Tobi a funny look.

"Uh huh. Do you need me to do something, Tobi?"

Tobi shook his head and stroked Emiko's cheek lovingly.

"Not yet, Emiko. Not yet. Now, finish your food. It's almost naptime."

Emiko nodded and went back to eating. She looked at Zetsu.

"Is it true that you wanted to eat me when 'Tachi first brought me, 'Tsu?"

"Yes. Konan wouldn't let me near you at first."

"Do you still want to eat me?"

Zetsu thought a moment.

**"No. You're much to sweet for my taste and far too tiny."**

"What about when I get older?"

"No. Putting aside the fact that everyone else would kill me, you'll still be too sweet."

**"Besides, you're one of us. I would never harm you, Emiko. Do I frighten you?"**

Emiko quickly shook her head.

"'Tsu is very important to me. So is everyone else. I don't ever want to hurt my family."

Zetsu smiled and reached across the table to pat her head.

"You're a very good girl, Emiko."

Emiko's face broke into a grin. She looked up at Tobi.

"I'm a good girl!"

Konan walked into the kitchen and smiled.

"Are you finished, Emiko?"

Emiko nodded and pushed the empty bowl away from herself.

"I wanna go potty and put on my big girl panties before I go nap."

Konan nodded. She watched Emiko hop out of her chair and walk out of the kitchen.

"Come get me when you're ready to lay down."

"Okay, Mama."

Once Emiko had left the room, Tobi stood up.

"She asked me why I wore my mask."

Konan's heart sank.

"She's just a child. It's natural for them to be curious."

Tobi chuckled.

"Don't worry, Konan. I'm not going to hurt her. She's like a daughter to me. Besides, someday I'm going to need her help."

"I don't want her to get too involved in the organization. She's just a child."

"So you've said. Don't worry, I won't put her in any danger."

Zetsu silently listened to the exchange. He knew better than to question Tobi's plans.

Emiko skipped happily into the kitchen. She lifted up her dress to show off her panties.

"All right, Emiko-chan. Let's get you ready for your nap."

"Okay, Mama."

Emiko ran up and hugged Zetsu around his legs. She motioned for him to lean down and he did so, receiving a kiss on both his cheeks. Emiko did the same to Tobi, giving him a kiss on his mask. She then took Konan's hand and let her lead her out of the room.

Tobi sat at the table, watching Zetsu clean Emiko's bowl.

"Do you think I'm horrible for wanting to use her in my plans?"

**"No. I'm sure when she's older, she'll be honored to have played a vital role in your plans."**

Tobi nodded his head.

"My thoughts exactly. She's already got Itachi wrapped around her little finger. I'm sure she'll be able to get the other Uchiha just as easily. We'll wait a little longer before we send her on her mission."

**Dun dun duuuuuunnnnn!! What could Tobi possibly be planning for little Emiko?? You'll just have to keep reading to find out won't you? Thanks for reading and look for the next chapter soon!**


	6. Nap with Papa and Mama

**Author's Note: I'm really glad that a lot of people like this story considering it literally came out of nowhere. Also, there are obviously major spoilers throughout this fanfic. So if you do not follow the current manga, be warned that there are spoilers for later in the series. This is probably the shortest chapter so far, so I'll try to put the next chapter up in a couple of days. **

Emiko was now in her pajamas, laying in her bed. Pein was tucking her in, making sure that I-chan was tucked in as well. Konan stood against the wall, smiling at Pein's rare display of affection for, well, anyone. Pein moved Emiko's bangs out of her eyes, fighting a smile at her sleepy eyes.

"Papa…?"

"What, Emiko?"

"Will you tell me about how I was adopted?"

Pein looked over at Konan. Konan smiled and walked over to the bed. She laid down by Emiko on the side closest to the wall. Pein laid down as well, allowing Emiko to wrap one small hand around his. She did the same to Konan.

"Well, Itachi found you outside in the grass. Nobody was around so he brought you inside."

"Why was I in the grass? Where was my mommy?"

"We don't know, sweetie." Konan said.

"Did my mommy not want me?"

"We don't know, Emiko. Are you sad that you're here?"

Emiko shook her head and tightened her grip on Pein's hand.

"No, it's okay. I'm glad mommy left me where she did. Because she didn't want me, I got all of you. I like having Mama as my Mama and Papa as my Papa."

Konan smiled and had to force back tears. Emiko had always been a very observant and understanding child. It broke her heart that Emiko was deprived of a real childhood. At the same time, she would never give up her precious little child.

Pein continued the story.

"Itachi brought you inside and your Mama immediately fell in love with you."

"Yes. You were so cute, even when you were crying."

"Hi-chan didn't like me very much." Emiko frowned, thinking. "He still doesn't."

Konan kissed the top of Emiko's forehead.

"That's not true. He cares for you dearly. Hidan just has a very difficult time showing it."

"We decided to keep you. We had to think of a name for you. Everyone tried to come up with a name but Itachi's name is the one we decided on."

"What did everyone want to name me?"

Konan giggled at the memory.

"Well, Hidan wanted to name you brat. Tobi, for whatever reason, wanted to name you Rrrrrrr. Zetsu wanted to name you Hana. Deidara and Sasori actually agreed to call you Aatoshi. Kakazu thought up Eiri. Orochimaru's idea was Dokuja. Kisame thought that Toto would be cute. As for me, I thought Mitsukai would be cute. Pein wanted the name Eimin."

"And 'Tachi wanted to name me Emiko!"

Pein stroked her hair.

"That's right. We thought it fit you best since nothing ever seemed to make you sad. Well, except for Orochimaru."

Emiko shuddered.

"Bad Hebi isn't coming back is he, Papa?"

Pein gave Emiko's hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"No, he's never coming back. He won't take you away from us. No one will."

Emiko smiled and leaned up, giving Pein a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, Papa."

She turned over and gave Konan a kiss as well.

"I love you too, Mama."

Konan pulled Emiko to her, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"I love you too, my precious little angel. Whatever reason your mother had to abandon you, I'm glad she left you where we could find you."

Emiko smiled and closed her eyes, ready for her nap.

Pein slowly got up out of the bed and fixed Emiko's sheets. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

"We'll see you at dinner."

Emiko didn't respond. She was sound asleep, I-chan held tightly to her chest. She didn't even stir when Konan climbed out of the bed and kissed her cheek.

"Sleep well, little angel."

**Yay it's another chapter done!! Here's a translation of all the names just incase you didn't know what any of them meant.**

**Hana-flower**

**Aatoshi-art paper**

**Eiri-money**

**Dokuja-poisonous snake**

**Mitsukai-angel**

**Eimin-eternal sleep**

**Toto-child's term for fish**


	7. Playtime with Danna and Deidei

**Author's Note: Not much to say except poor poor Sasori and Deidara. They got stuck being Emiko's playmates for the day . Just so everyone knows, I have up to chapter 15 written so the faster you review, the faster you get new chapters (hint hint). **

**Yay! Society's Damnation figured out how I came up with I-chan's name . Yeah, it wasn't really original but I thought it was cute.**

"Emiko-chan, it's time to wake up, un."

Emiko huffed and slowly opened her eyes. She was greeted with bright blonde hair and a single blue eye. She rubbed the sleep from her eye and held her arms out to the artist.

"What are we gonna play, Deidei?"

Deidara dressed Emiko in a simple blue dress (her only non-pink outfit). He helped her put on her sandals and led her out of her room.

"Well, Danna and I were thinking that since you don't get to go outside too much, I'll take you for a ride on one of my creations. How's that sound, un?"

Emiko squealed and began jumping up and down. She had never been allowed to go outside and now she got to go twice in one day. On top of that, Deidei was allowing her to ride with him.

"Yay!! Thank you, Deidei!!"

Deidara smiled and swung Emiko up into the air, placing her on his left shoulder. He walked towards the entrance where Sasori was waiting.

"Are you sure it's safe for Emiko to be on that thing?"

Sasori motioned over to the giant owl like bird that was sitting outside.

Deidara grinned.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to Emiko-chan, un."

"C'mon, Deidei. I wanna ride the birdie!"

Deidara placed Emiko on the bird near the top of it's head. He quickly climbed on behind her. He made the bird fly into the air, holding on tightly to Emiko so she wouldn't fall.

Emiko was squealing in delight. She was high up in the sky with her Deidei, getting to feel wind swirl around her and the sun on her face. These were things she rarely got to feel and she treasured every moment of her time outside.

They flew for about thirty minutes, Deidara making the bird spin and flip in the air to entertain Emiko and freak Sasori out. They finally landed right by Sasori. He didn't seem pleased at all.

"She could've fallen off, Deidara."

"I wouldn't let her, un."

"I want to go swimming!"

The two men looked at the small girl, both letting out a sigh. They each took one of her hands and led her a little further away from the hideout to a small river.

"Take off your shoes, Emiko."

"Okay, Danna."

Emiko took her shoes off and waded into the shallow part of the river. She slowly made her way into the deeper water when she felt hands wrap around her waist and scoop her up. She looked up at Deidara's disapproving face.

"You can't go in the deep water without someone, Emiko-chan, un. You don't know how to swim."

Emiko pouted but let Deidara carry her out into the deeper water. He held onto her, letting her kick her feet around in the deep water. He had left his Akatsuki robe on the shore by Sasori.

"Danna, come into the water."

"I can't, Emiko."

"Why not?"

Sasori sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Emiko. Just play."

Emiko splashed around in the water before looking up at Deidara.

"Why can't I come outside more often?"

"Someone might see you, un."

"Is that bad?"

"They might find out where our hideout is."

"Oh."

"Let's get out and play something else, Emiko-chan, un."

"Okay! I want to play hide-n-seek! You two hide and I'll find you!"

Sasori and Deidara looked warily at each other.

"If we play, Emiko, you cannot go past the line of trees that leads to the road. Do you understand?"

"Yes Danna."

Emiko hid her face in her hands and began counting. Deidara and Sasori hid close to the base so that Emiko could find them easier.

"100….54….20! Ready or not here I come!"

Emiko began wandering around. Instead of going towards the hideout, she went closer to the edge of the forest. She reached the edge of the forest line and looked at the dirt road that 'Tachi and 'Same had taken her on to get to the town.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself, little girl."

Emiko stared up at a very tall man. He had dead eyes and his hair was scraggily. Emiko noticed splatters of blood on his clothes and face. She peered around the man and saw that down the road was a pile with about four dead people. Emiko became very afraid.

"What's wrong little girl? Cat got your tongue."

He reached down and grabbed Emiko's tiny wrist, picking her up off the ground. Emiko screamed.

Within seconds the man had let go of her. He was knocked to the ground on his stomach and had a very pissed off looking Sasori standing over him. Deidara was beside Emiko, trying to soothe her. He glared daggers at the man and, without Emiko or the man noticing, sent a small spider bomb to attach itself to the man's back.

"What were you planning to do with her?"

The man shook and turned his head to try and look at Sasori.

"Nothing, I swear! Listen, I'm sorry! I thought she might've been with those people over there. I'm just a pickpocket. Please spare me."

Emiko was shaking badly. She clutched tightly onto Deidara, burying her face in his sleeve.

"You scared our Emiko-chan, un. Why should we spare you?"

"Let it go, Deidara. You know what to do."

Sasori lifted his foot up and let the man get up. He fixed the man with a harsh glare.

"Head towards the village. Don't you dare try to follow us or your death will be unimaginably painful."

The man nodded and ran towards the village. He hadn't gotten more than ten feet when the spider on his back exploded, killing him.

Emiko began crying again, silently begging Sasori to pick her up. She had never been so scared or felt so threatened in her life.

Sasori walked over and pried Emiko away from Deidara. He picked her up and gave her a stern glare.

"What did we say to you, Emiko? Didn't we tell you it was dangerous? Why did you come here?"

Emiko cried harder, rubbing her cheek against Sasori's.

"I'm sorry, Danna! I didn't mean to not listen. I promise I won't do it again! Please don't be mad at me!"

Sasori sighed and stroked her cheek soothingly.

"We aren't mad at you, Emiko. You just scared us. We thought you were hurt."

"We should head back to the base, un. It's almost dinner and Konan will freak if we're not there."

Sasori nodded.

"Now, Emiko, you need to stop crying. We won't tell anybody and you won't get in trouble."

Emiko nodded and wiped her tears, giving Sasori a bright smile.

"Thank you, Danna."

The trio walked back to the base, Sasori holding Emiko and Deidara with his hand on her head.

**Wow, I can't believe we're already on chapter 7. It seems like only yesterday Sakura02 and I were talking about how the Akatsuki would deal with a baby. I have a feeling this fanfic is going to be well over 50 chapters. You're reviews keep me going and encourage me. Thanks so much!**

**Sakura02 and I were having a little chit chat and we thought there might be some more animes out there that need a cute little baby to brighten their day. If you have any ideas for any other animes, please message me and let me know.**


	8. Bathtime with Hichan and Kaka

Author's Note: You know the drill by now guys

**Author's Note: You know the drill by now guys. Read the lovely chapter, leave me a review, and you shall get another chapter. I would like to especially thank Sakura02 and extra type for always reviewing. Please guys, leave a review. It's really discouraging to see so many hits and only 3 reviews. **

Dinner had been quite an adventure. Emiko had found a rubber band lying around and made a slingshot out of it with her fork. Hidan was now carrying Emiko under his arm like a football, spaghetti sauce all over his cloak. Kakazu followed behind, silently laughing at his partner.

They finally reached the bathroom and Kakazu began turning on the water, adjusting the temperature. When the bath was full, Hidan stripped Emiko and threw her into the bathtub.

"If you wash her, I'll dry her off."

Hidan glared at his partner.

"Why the fuck do I have to bathe her?"

"You still need to bond with her."

"Fuck off. I'll call you when she's fucking ready."

"Bye bye, Kaka!"

Kakazu left the bathroom, leaving Hidan at Emiko's mercy.

"You wash my hair, Hi-chan. I can wash myself."

Hidan rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, brat."

Emiko glared. She grabbed the cup off the side of the tub and filled it with water. She then threw it onto Hidan, giggling at how his hair looked with all the gel washed out.

Hidan sputtered, wiping water out of his eyes.

"You little fucker!"

"Don't talk to me like that you bastard!"

"You're not supposed to cuss, bitch!"

"You do it all the fucking time so why can't I!?"

"Just hurry up and wash yourself!"

Hidan grumbled under his breath, waiting for Emiko to finish washing herself.

"Okay, you can wash my hair now, Hi-chan."

"Well thank you, You're Majesty."

Hidan poured some of the shampoo into his hand lathering it together before he began scrubbing Emiko's hair. He was surprisingly gentle and made sure not to let any of the soap get into her eyes, or trying to anyways.

"It got in my eye!"

Emiko began crying about the soap in her eye, rubbing at them furiously.

"Stop fucking moving!"

Hidan got a wet wash cloth and tilted Emiko's head up. He gently wiped the soap from her red eyes.

"Try opening your eyes."

"I can't. It still hurts."

"Hold still."

Hidan poured some clean water into her eyes, dabbing at it with the washcloth.

"Can you open them now?"

Emiko slowly opened her eyes. Other then a bit of redness, they didn't seem that bad. She smiled brightly up at Hidan.

"Thank you, Hi-chan. They don't hurt anymore. I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't let this go to your head. Konan would kill me if she knew I let you get hurt. Otherwise I could care less. Now hold this over your eyes while I rinse the soap out."

Emiko held the washcloth to her eyes, waiting patiently for Hidan to finish. Once he was done, Hidan took the washcloth from Emiko and stood up.

"I'm going to get Kakazu now. If you tell anyone about this I'll make you regret it."

Emiko sat patiently in the tub while she waited for Kakazu to dry her off. He finally came in with a fluffy pink towel. He reached into the bath and drained the water.

"Stand up, Emi."

Emiko stood up and let Kakazu wrap the towel around her. She winced as he dried her hair a little too hard. He lifted her up out of the tub with the towel wrapped tightly around her. He picked her pajamas up off her little stool.

"Lift up your arms."

Emiko did and felt her cotton nightgown fall around her. She smiled brightly up at Kakazu.

Kakazu smiled behind his mask. Most children would be terrified of him even with the mask on. But not Emiko. She had even seen his four hearts on his back and still she didn't fear him. She actually thought it was cool.

"Come here."

Emiko walked over to the sink and hopped up onto her stool. She opened her mouth, waiting for Kakazu to brush her teeth. He did and then combed her hair out, being careful not to pull on the tangles.

Deidara came in just as Kakazu was finishing. He watched Emiko lean up and kiss Kakazu's nose.

"Night, Kaka."

Kakazu nodded and watched Deidara carry Emiko out so she could say her good nights. The other members were in the main room, waiting for Emiko.

She went to each person, giving them kisses and saying good night. She paused at Hidan and gave him a kiss on the cheek and a tight hug. He frowned and awkwardly patted her back.

Deidara scooped her up and carried her to her room. He placed her in the bed and placed I-chan beside her. Emiko took his hand and kissed the palm of it (the mouth is closed people!!). Deidara smiled and ruffled her hair. He stood up and left the room, making sure to leave the door open a crack.

Emiko didn't notice. She was already sound asleep.

**Just so everyone knows, the past few chapters Emiko has been 2. The next chapter she'll be 3 and then, with the 10****th**** chapter, she'll be 4. Reviews please! I know that the past few chapters have been really short, but the next chapter will be extremely long, I promise. So please please pleeeeeaaaasssseee review. **


	9. Daycare and Colds

Author's Note: This chapter is based on true events

**Author's Note: So this chapter was based on some things that I've actually seen happen; at least the part pertaining to the daycare. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed! I would especially like to thank Ann for her ideas. **

"She needs to be around kids her own age!"

"What the fuck gave you that idea?"

"It says so in the baby book!"

"She's three you damn idiot! She's not a baby!"

Emiko could hear the shouting all the way in her room. She climbed out of her bed and made her way down the hall, holding onto one of I-chan's paws. Emiko stood in the entrance to the kitchen. Everyone was sitting around the table listening to Konan and Hidan fight.

"Why are Mama and Hi-chan fighting?"

The group looked up, startled by Emiko's sudden appearance. Pein beckoned Emiko over to him. Emiko obediently came over and crawled into her Papa's lap at the head of the table.

Konan smiled.

"Sweetie, how would you like to go to daycare? You would get to meet and play with kids your age."

Emiko was idly fiddling with one of Pein's hands. She lifted her onyx eyes to Kisame.

"'Same said I can't play with other kids. I'm different so I can't, Mama."

Pein placed his hand on Emiko's head, forcing her to look up at him.

"We've had a long discussion, Emiko. We decided you should get to play with children your age. Konan has enrolled you at a daycare in town. You start tomorrow."

Emiko's eyes widened in shock. Then, her face broke into a bright smile. She gave Pein a tight hug.

"Thank you, Papa!"

She wriggled out of Pein's grip and climbed onto the table. She ran around on the top of the table, hugging all of the Akatsuki. Sasori managed to grab her when she hugged him. He plopped her in his lap.

Pein folded his hands in front of him, giving Emiko a stern look.

"There are some rules that you must follow, Emiko. These apply to whenever you are alone without any of us. You cannot ever tell anyone about our organization. You may not invite anyone here. While in daycare, don't show off your training. If anyone ask about your family, you may only say you come from a family of ninjas.

Emiko nodded her head. Pein had decided to begin training Emiko a few months ago. She already had a good grasp on chakra (although she was having difficulty walking on water), she was able to fight well with a kunai and shuriken, she could do basic jutsus, and was quickly mastering taijutsu.

"Do you think you can follow those rules?"

"Yes, Papa."

"Very well then. Kisame, put her back in bed. You will take her to school tomorrow morning."

Kisame took Emiko from Sasori, carrying her back to her bed. He gently placed her in the bed, tucking her back in. He kissed her forehead and softly closed the door behind him.

XxTime PassXx

Konan sat on the sofa, tapping her foot impatiently. Tobi was listening to Deidara and Sasori argue. Zetsu was sitting by himself. Kakazu was counting his money. Hidan was praying and Pein was casually sitting in the arm chair. Kisame stayed in the kitchen, cooking dinner.

They all heard the boulder move. Suddenly, Hidan had a sobbing Emiko clinging to him.

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

"I don't want Hi-chan to go to Hell!"

The other members looked at Itachi. He simply shrugged.

"All I've been able to get her to say is that Hidan is going to Hell."

Emiko continued crying and hugging Hidan.

"I don't wanna be punished by God!"

Pein raised an eyebrow. He detached Emiko from Hidan. He held her close and stroked her hair.

"Why would I punish you, Emiko?"

Emiko began crying harder.

"Not you! Teacher's God! She said because I wanna be a ninja I was bad in God's eyes! And then…and then, I fell and hurt my knee," Emiko lifted up her skirt to reveal a huge gash with little pebbles in it, dried blood caked on her leg. "Teacher said God had already started punishing me!"

Pein growled and handed Emiko to Konan. He settled his gaze on Zetsu.

"Zetsu, tomorrow you will spy on Emiko's class. I want you to report back to me at the end of the day. We'll decide what to do with this teacher tomorrow."

Konan was cooing to Emiko, trying to calm her down.

"I'm going to take care of her knee. That bitch didn't even clean it."

Everyone looked at Konan in shock. She never cursed, especially with Emiko in the room. Emiko was sniffling and holding onto Konan's cloak tightly. Konan gave the men a sharp glare.

"Nobody fucks with my baby and gets away with it. That bitch is going to pay."

Konan walked out of the room and took Emiko to the bathroom. She gently sat Emiko down on the sink counter, moving Emiko's dress above her knee. Konan stuck her head out of the bathroom.

"Sasori, Kakazu, I need your help!"

The two men walked into the bathroom. Sasori immediately came over and took Emiko's small hand in his wooden one. Kakazu stood beside Konan, waiting to do his job.

Emiko leaned her head against Sasori's arm, sighing in content as he stroked her hair.

Konan took a wet washcloth and dabbed as gently as possible on and around the wound. She could feel how tense Emiko was but Emiko said nothing. Konan moved out of the way so Kakazu could kneel in front of Emiko. Kakazu looked at Emiko, tweezers poised in front of Emiko.

"It's okay to cry if it hurts, Emiko."

Emiko had her head now buried in Sasori's shoulder. She quickly shook her head.

"If I can't handle this little bit of pain, I can't be a ninja like all of you."

Kakazu patted Emiko's uninjured knee affectionately.

The rest of Akatsuki was standing outside, listening to Emiko's whimpering. Konan came running out of the bathroom. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"My baby won't cry. She's hurting, but she won't cry."

Emiko could hear her family outside the door but she could only focus on the pain. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Blood trickled down her chin and Sasori wiped the blood away.

Kakazu pulled out the last pebble. Sasori moved in, carefully wiping away the fresh blood. He put a large band aid with pictures of shuriken on it over the wound. He stood up and kissed the top of Emiko's head.

"You were so brave."

Emiko gave Sasori and Kakazu a shaky smile.

"I'm ready to go to bed."

Kakazu carried Emiko out of the bathroom and to her room. He put her into her nightgown and turned on her night light.

XxTime PassXx

Hidan sighed when he felt the familiar weight on his chest.

"What the hell is it now?"

"I wanted to make sure you didn't go to Hell."

Hidan picked her up and carried her across the hall. He banged loudly on the door.

Itachi had no time to react. He answered the door and had Emiko shoved into his arms.

"You deal with the damn thing."

Itachi shut his door and walked over to his bed. He put Emiko on the side pushed against the wall. He laid down next to her and stroked her hair, soothing her to sleep.

"'Tachi?"

"Hmmm?"

"When I grow up, I wanna marry you."

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you want to marry me?"

"'Cause I love you."

"You don't love anyone else?"

"I love Mama and Papa and Hi-chan and Kaka and Danna and Deidei and 'Tsu, and Tobi and 'Same. I want to marry them too."

Itachi chuckled and kissed Emiko on the head.

"All right then. Now go to sleep. You have to go to daycare in the morning."

Emiko pouted.

"I don't want to go back. Teacher is really mean."

"Don't worry about her. We'll deal with her."

Emiko nodded. She curled up into a small ball, snuggling close to Itachi. Itachi held her in a protective hug and the two fell asleep.

XxTime PassXx

Zetsu sighed from his hiding place in the ceiling. Konan had just dropped Emiko off. Emiko was currently playing with a little boy in the house center. The boy had brown hair and blue eyes and, in Zetsu's opinion, was standing far too close to Emiko.

"Emiko-chan, you're the Mama and I'm the Daddy."

"Okay, Taro."

The children continued playing for another ten minutes before the teacher stood up from her desk. The teacher had messy brown hair and dull brown eyes.

"Kids, clean up and go to your seats."

All seven children quickly cleaned up and ran to their seats. The teacher walked to the front of the room and glared hatefully at Emiko.

"Now, I know yesterday was a bit difficult due to certain children and their heathen ways. I hope today will go more smoothly."

Emiko's bottom lip quivered. She hated being scolded. She tried not to cry because she knew Zetsu was there.

"Now then, we are going to continue our discussion about love."

Zetsu listened to the woman babble on about how you must love God before you can love yourself and others. She talked about how you must show love to all people you meet.

"Unless, of course, these people do not believe in our God. He is the one true God and all nonbelievers shall burn for all eternity."

Emiko burst into tears.

"That's not true! Papa and Hi-chan love me and they don't believe in your God!"

The teacher's face turned scarlet. She reached out and grabbed Emiko's arm and yanked her out of her seat.

"Listen you little brat! You had better shut your mouth! How dare you deny the truth! You're in time out for the rest of the day!"

Emiko cried even harder as the teacher dragged her over to the time out corner.

"Put my baby down, you bitch."

The Akatsuki all stood in the doorway. Zetsu had seen enough and had gone back to the hideout to report to Pein.

Konan ran over and yanked Emiko away from the other woman. She nodded towards Itachi.

"Take care of her, Itachi."

The rest of the group walked outside to wait for Itachi. Hidan walked over and stood beside Konan. He held his arms out.

"Give her here."

Konan reluctantly handed Emiko over to Hidan. Emiko immediately wrapped her arms around Hidan's neck. She showered his face with kisses, tears still running down her cheeks.

"Okay, that's enough damnit! You keep that shit up and I'll drop you."

Emiko pouted and began pulling on Hidan's cheeks.

"No you won't! Mama will kick your ass if you do."

Hidan growled and used one hand to pull on one of Emiko's cheeks.

"That hurts you stupid bitch!"

"Your not supposed to curse in front of me!"

Itachi walked out of the room, ignoring the teacher's screaming. He hid a smile as Emiko held her arms out to him. He took her from Hidan, letting her sit on his shoulders.

"Papa, can we get ice cream?"

Pein nodded. The odd little family made its way into the town, listening to Emiko sing her ice cream song.

XxTime PassXx

"Mama, I don't feel good."

Konan slowly opened her eyes. Emiko was standing at the side of Konan's bed, her cheeks were flushed and snot was running from her nose. Konan sat up quickly and grabbed at tissue, wiping Emiko's nose.

"What's wrong, sweetie? Do you have a fever?"

Konan put her hand on Emiko's forehead. Sure enough, Emiko was burning up. Konan picked Emiko up and carried her into the bathroom. She put her on the sink counter and rummaged through the medicine cabinet. She took out some children's cough syrup. She poured some into the small cup and held it out to Emiko.

"Come on, sweetie. Drink this."

"No! That stuff tastes icky."

"Please drink it. It'll make you feel better."

"No!"

Konan sighed.

"Stay here."

Konan walked out of the bathroom. She went to Itachi's door and knocked on the door. A half-asleep Uchiha answered the door.

"Emiko has a fever. Will you please get her to take the medicine?"

Itachi nodded and stumbled towards the bathroom. He picked up the small cup with the medicine and held it out to Emiko.

"If you drink this I'll get everyone to have a tea party with you tomorrow."

Emiko's eyes sparkled. The only one that would ever have a tea party with her was Mama.

"Promise?"

Itachi nodded. Emiko took the cup from his hand and drank down the foul tasting liquid. She made a face and hopped down from the counter. She walked around Itachi and went to Konan.

"I want to sleep with Mama."

Konan picked Emiko up and smiled at Itachi.

"Thank you."

Itachi nodded and stumbled back to his room, shutting the door behind him.

Konan carried Emiko to her room and laid down with her. She pulled the sheets up to Emiko's chin. Emiko snuggled close to Konan clutching tightly onto I-chan.

"Night night, Mama."

"Good night, Emiko."

XxTime PassXx

Emiko was feeling better in the morning but she still had a slight fever. She didn't seem to notice though. Emiko was setting the table in the kitchen with little plastic pink tea cups. There was a large plastic pink teapot in the center of the table. Emiko was humming happily to herself, skipping around in her pink party dress.

Kisame walked in and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing, Emiko?"

Emiko grinned brightly at the giant shark.

"'Tachi told me that if I took the icky medicine that you would all have a tea party with me."

"Oh, did he now?"

"You don't want to have a tea party with me?"

Kisame sighed when he saw Emiko's bottom lip quiver.

"I'll go get everyone."

"Thank you, 'Same!"

Kisame went to each member's room and told them to go to the kitchen. When he told Hidan, he was forced to drag Hidan to the kitchen.

Emiko sat at the head of the table, beaming at all of her family. Her cheeks were still slightly flushed from her fever.

Kisame picked Hidan up and threw him into the chair on Emiko's right. Itachi sat to her left. Emiko picked up the teapot and began pouring "tea" (there wasn't anything in the teapot) and passed the cups out to everyone.

Hidan glared at his empty pink cup. A sharp jab in the ribs from Sasori made him pick up the cup and pretend to drink the tea.

Emiko glared at Hidan and smacked him over the head with I-chan.

"You're not doing it right, Hi-chan! You have to keep your pinky out!"

Hidan growled, forcing himself to keep his hands down. If he even dared to raise his hand to Emiko, Konan would throttle him. He extended his pinky and took a sip from his pink cup.

Deidara was happily sipping from his cup when he noticed Emiko staring at him.

"What's wrong, Chibi-chan, un?"

"I want to brush Deidei's hair!"

The other member's sniggered. Deidara sighed and forced a smile.

"It wouldn't be fair to all the others if you only brushed my hair, un."

"I'll brush everyone's hair then."

"Fuck this, I'm out of here."

Hidan was tackled by Deidara and Kisame. He was dragged back to his chair. Emiko was now clearing everyone's dishes and putting them back in her room. When she came back, she had a brush and several hair ties and ribbons in her hand.

"Let's go to the living room!"

The eight males reluctantly followed the three year old into the living room, dreading their fates.

XxTime PassXx

Pein and Konan entered the hideout, exhausted from their mission. All Konan wanted to do was snuggle with her little baby.

"It's tangled in my fucking hair!"

Hidan came running down the hallway. His hair was ungelled and there were two small pigtails on his head. He glowered at Konan.

"Look what the damn brat did this time!"

Konan and Pein were shocked, to say the least. They walked into the living room. Pein hid a smirk, while Konan openly laughed. Kakazu had eye shadow all over his face since he wouldn't take off his hood. Sasori's spikes were adorned with ribbons while Deidara's hair was in a long braid with a pink bow at the end. Zetsu had a topknot and Tobi had a tiny side ponytail. Kisame had two pigtails and Emiko was currently braiding Itachi's hair into two pretty pigtails.

"Emiko, you need to go take your nap."

"Okay, Mama."

Emiko skipped down the hallway, leaving the Akatsuki members to try and fix their hair.

**So there's that chapter. I think this is the longest chapter so far. In the next chapter, Emiko will be four and she's going to be making some new friends . Review!!**


	10. Running Away to Konoha

**Author's Note: Yay!! It's the 10****th**** chapter!! I've had so much fun writing this for you guys. So now that the spring semester is over for me, I'll hopefully be able to write faster and get you guys more chapters to read. **

Emiko, now four, was skipping happily through the hallways. She wore a sundress with the same pattern as the Akatsuki cloak. Her long black hair was held in pigtails by two red ribbons. She paused outside the main room, listening to her family's conversation.

"He's entering the chunin exam."

"Isn't it in Konoha this year?"

"Why don't we just grab him then?"

"It's too risky. Besides, I heard Orochimaru is going to lead an attack against Konoha."

Emiko walked in, clutching I-chan close to her.

"What's going on?"

Konan smiled and held her arms open to Emiko. Emiko walked over and let Konan put her in her lap.

"Honey, all of us are going to be leaving for a while. Hidan and Kakazu are going to stay here and watch you. Are you going to see us off?"

Emiko nodded. Kakazu picked her up and carried her to the entrance. She waved goodbye to the rest of her family. Once they were gone, Kakazu put her down.

"I'm going to be in my room. Why don't you see if Hidan will play with you?"

Emiko went down the hallway to Hidan's room. Instead of knocking, she simply burst into the room.

"Hi-chan, you wanna play with me?"

Hidan growled, looking up from his ritual.

"Damnit, you stupid brat! You fucked up my ritual!"

"I'm sorry, Hi-chan."

"I can't wait for Pein to just fucking kill you."

Emiko froze, clinging to the door frame.

"Papa wouldn't kill me."

Hidan gave Emiko an evil sneer.

"Oh, but he would. When Itachi first brought you in, Pein said he would kill you if you were useless. Let's face it brat, your pretty useless and Pein's already talked to us about killing you."

Emiko shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. She ran to her room and slammed the door. She quickly went through her closet, grabbing a backpack and throwing clothes in it. She wrote a quick goodbye note and left it in Pein's room. She saw one of his headbands on his bed and took it, putting it around her neck. Emiko ran to the entrance, her backpack over her shoulders. She paused at the giant boulder and looked down at I-chan. Her lower lip quivered and she threw I-chan to the ground. She made the hand signs and ran out of the hideout.

XxTime PassXx

Emiko had been wandering aimlessly for three days. She was extremely hungry and thirsty. When she had left, she hadn't thought about taking any food or water. Her legs caved under her and she fell by the side of the road.

She awoke a few hours later to the sensation of moving. Emiko slowly opened her onyx eyes and saw a man with a mask over his face. He looked down and smiled at her.

"Ah, I see your awake. What's a tiny little rain ninja doing all the way out here?"

Emiko let out a sad little cough.

"I need to go to Konoha. Do you have any food or water, mister? I'm really hungry."

The man smiled. He looked over his shoulder.

"Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, lets' stop here."

The four ninja dropped down from the trees. The man put Emiko down, keeping a hand on her back to steady her.

"I suppose some introductions are in order. I'm Hatake Kakashi. The young lady is Haruno Sakura, the blonde is Uzumaki Naruto, and the cranky young man is Uchiha Sasuke. What's your name, little rain ninja?"

"I'm Emiko."

Sakura squealed and kneeled down to Emiko's level.

"You're so cute! You look like a little Sasuke-kun!"

Emiko peeked around Sakura and stared at Sasuke. She walked over to him and tugged on his hand.

Sasuke glared down at Emiko.

"What?"

Emiko smiled brightly.

"Nice to meet you, Cockatoo-san."

Naruto burst out laughing while Sakura had a horrified look on her face. Sasuke's glare intensified.

"How did you come up with such a stupid name?"

"The back of your head looks like a cockatoo's ass."

By the time Kakashi came over with food and water for Emiko, Naruto was having difficulty breathing, Sakura had fainted, and Sasuke's face was bright red.

"Here you go, Emiko-chan. Eat it slowly so you don't get a tummy ache."

Emiko took the rice ball from Kakashi with one hand. Her other hand was still holding Sasuke's hand.

"Are you going to let go of my hand anytime soon?"

Emiko shook her head.

"You remind me of someone in my family. So if it's okay, I want to stay by you."

Sasuke sighed and sat down on the forest ground. He allowed Emiko to sit in his lap while she ate her rice ball and drank her water.

Naruto had finally calmed down and was sitting on Sasuke's right, while Sakura was on Sasuke's left. Sakura began glaring angrily at Emiko.

"Why don't you get off of Sasuke-kun, Emiko-chan? I'm sure he doesn't want you there."

"If Cockatoo-san tells me to get off, I will. Mind your own business, Pinky-san."

Sakura looked ready to throttle the little girl, but Sasuke fixed her with an Uchiha glare.

Kakashi squatted down smiling.

"Now then, will you tell us why you're all the way out here, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko picked up one of Sasuke's hands and began fiddling with his fingers.

"Well, someone in my family told me that my Papa was going to kill me if I was useless. He said Papa was already planning to kill me. I heard them talking about the chunin exam in Konoha. I thought, if I could take the exam, I would become useful and Papa wouldn't kill me."

Kakashi continued smiling.

"How old are you?"

"I just turned four."

"Aren't you a little young to be taking the exam?"

Tears began filling Emiko's eyes.

"Please let me take the exam! I'll do whatever you want if you let me take the exam! I want Papa to think I'm useful!"

Kakashi sighed.

"We'll take you to meet with the Hokage and see what he says."

Emiko smiled but tears continued to spill from her eyes. She buried her face in Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke forced her to look up at him. He wiped her tears away with his armband.

"Stop crying. You're getting my shirt wet."

Kakashi stood up, putting his pack back on.

"Let's hurry and get to Konoha before it gets dark."

Sasuke stood up, gently placing Emiko on the ground. He gave Sakura another warning glare when he saw her glaring at Emiko. He looked back down at Emiko.

"Do you need someone to carry you?"

"It's okay. Papa's been training me since I turned three."

The group of five jumped into the trees.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, what are the chunin exams?"

"I'll tell you later, Naruto."

XxMeanwhileXx

The Akatsuki were returning to their hideout, all exhausted from their missions. The boulder was removed and Konan bounded into the hallway.

"We're home, Emiko-chan!"

The rest of the group entered the hallway. It was Itachi that noticed I-chan lying on the floor.

"Um, you should all come sit in the main room."

The group entered and saw Kakazu and Hidan standing. Kakazu had a piece of paper in his hand. Kakazu tossed the paper to Konan. She looked at it, confused.

"I don't know what it says. It's just a bunch of random letters."

"We think it's Emiko's runaway note."

"What!?"

"Genius over there told Emiko that Pein was planning to kill her. We didn't notice she was missing until dark. She's been gone for three days."

Konan sprang up and began throttling Hidan.

"Fuck, woman! Stop hitting me damnit! I didn't know she'd run away!"

Itachi tightened his grip on I-chan. He turned his gaze to Pein. Pein stood up, forcing everyone to pay attention.

"We'll search for her in the morning. Everyone, let's get some rest."

Konan gave Hidan one last kick in the head before following the other members out of the room.

XxIn KonohaXx

"Ah!"

Emiko was hiding behind Kakashi. Her two small hands were holding onto one of Kakashi's gloved hands. She hesitantly peeked out from behind Kakashi and quickly hid behind him again.

"Gai, I think you're scaring the poor girl."

Gai looked up from doing his nice guy pose and laughed.

"Forgive me, Emiko-chan! I did not mean for my youth to startle you so!"

Emiko said nothing and stayed hidden behind Kakashi. They had taken her away from Cockatoo-san and she was not happy. Now, this strange man was doing strange poses.

Kurenai contained a squeal at how adorable the small child was. She kneeled beside Emiko and smiled. Emiko gave Kurenai a small smile in return. She slowly let go of Kakashi and attached herself to Kurenai's neck. She took in a deep breath and giggled.

"You smell like Mama."

Kurenai smiled and stood up with Emiko still in her arms. She turned to once again face the Hokage.

The Third Hokage was trying to hold back a laugh at Emiko's reaction to Gai. He had summoned all the jounin to attend this rather interesting meeting.

"So, you want to take the exam, Emiko?"

Emiko removed her head from Kurenai's neck and nodded.

"I want to prove to Papa that I'm not useless. If I take the exam, he'll know I'm not useless."

The Hokage sighed.

"This is a very dangerous test, Emiko. You could get hurt."

"I'm not scared! One time, Papa threw me down a really deep hole and I had to get out using chakra and he wouldn't let me out until I did it right!"

Everyone's eyes widened as Emiko continued rambling off her training. The Hokage cleared his throat, signaling Emiko to stop talking.

"Very well, Emiko. This is completely unorthodox, but I will let you enter the exam. First, I would like to see your training."

Emiko grinned and clapped her hands together.

"Okay, Hokage-san. Lady-san, can you put me down?"

Kurenai put Emiko on the ground. Emiko walked over to where the Hokage was standing and took his hand. She let him lead her away from the other jounin towards one of the training fields.

Once the two of them had left, Kurenai turned to Kakashi.

"She was just wandering in the forest?"

"Yeah. I tried to ask her who her family was but she said she couldn't tell me their names. She said that her father said we'd take her away from them."

"She should be taken away from them! What kind of father threatens to kill his child?"

Asuma lit a cigarette and blew a smoke cloud out.

"A little rain ninja wandering around definetly isn't normal. How'd she get out without any one catching her?"

"Whatever the case, little Emiko-chan is now here. Her youth inspires me to work harder!"

Everyone rolled their eyes and patiently waited for the Hokage to return. When he did, it was without Emiko.

"She saw Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura and ran off to join them. She's quite the amazing little girl. She can already control her element very well and has an amazing amount of control over her chakra. Her father must have trained her hard."

Kakashi looked out the window and saw Emiko attached to Sasuke.

Sakura was furious. The little girl had appeared out of nowhere and was now holding Sasuke's hand again!

"So, Emiko-chan, where're you going to stay?"

"I don't know Kitsune-san."

"Kitsune-san?"

"You've got whiskers like a kitsune."

"You can stay with me."

Emiko stared up at Sasuke, surprised as did Naruto and Sakura. A huge smile spread across Emiko's face.

"Really, Cockatoo-san? I thought you didn't like me!"

Sasuke scoffed and looked away. There was no way he was going to let the young girl know that he could relate to her. Wanting to be acknowledged by her father reminded Sasuke of himself when he was younger, desperately trying to get his father's attention.

"Whatever. Let's go, Munchkin-chan."

Emiko huffed and kicked Sasuke's shin.

"Don't call me that!"

Sasuke smirked. He held Emiko's hand and led her away from Sakura and Naruto.

Emiko turned her head and waved goodbye to Naruto and shot Sakura the bird.

**For the record, Emiko does not know any of the Akatsuki's last names and that is why she doesn't realize that Sasuke is Itachi's brother. Also, I just realized Emiko seems to evoke squeals from all women she comes across and attaches to anything that remotely looks like an Uchiha. So yay! Now Emiko's adventures in Konoha can begin.**


	11. The Beginning

Wahh

**Wahh!! Sorry it took longer for this one to come out. The evil finals snuck up on me! Plus, I got to baby-sit one of the kids in my class and his little twin brothers. They were so adorable!! And they gave me ideas for later on .**

Emiko stared in awe at the huge apartment Sasuke had led her into. She ran around, going from room to room. She found Sasuke's room and threw her backpack on the floor. She climbed onto the bed and began jumping up and down.

"Where am I gonna sleep, Cockatoo-san?"

Sasuke could feel a headache coming and he was beginning to question his decision to let the young girl stay with him.

"I'll make you a bed on the couch. Stop jumping on the bed."

Emiko stopped and sat on the bed. She grinned at Sasuke.

"So where's your family, Cockatoo-san? Are they on a mission?"

"No."

"Oh, are they shopping?"

"No."

"Then where are they?"

"That's none of your business. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah. Do you have any ramen?"

Sasuke sighed. It seemed Emiko was a miniature Naruto with her personality and taste in food.

"No. Come on."

Emiko hopped off the bed and followed Sasuke out of the apartment. She grabbed his hand and let him lead the way through the village. He took her to Ichiraku and watched her finish three bowls off.

"You're going to get fat if you eat like that."

Emiko picked up a noodle and threw it in Sasuke's face.

"Shut up, Cockatoo-san. You shouldn't say things like that to a lady."

"You aren't a lady. You're a kid."

"Am not! I'm not that much younger than you."

Sasuke threw the noodle back at Emiko and smirked.

"How old are you again?"

"I'm four, stupid."

"Well, I'm twelve. Did your father not teach you math? That's an eight year difference, Munchkin."

"Stop calling me Munchkin, Cockatoo-san! It's not nice!"

"Well stop calling me Cockatoo! My name is Sasuke!"

The two continued bickering as Sasuke paid for the ramen and the two made their way out of the stand. Sasuke froze when he heard Naruto and Sakura's loud voices.

"Let's go see what the idiots are up to."

Sasuke leapt into a tree with Emiko sitting beside him. The two watched a boy in a kitty outfit picking on a small child. Sasuke frowned and threw a rock at the boy's hand. The boy immediately dropped the child.

"What are you Suna ninja doing in our village?"

Emiko began throwing small pebbles at the Suna boy, hitting him in his forehead repeatedly.

"It's not nice to pick on people smaller than you! Didn't you're mother teach you any manners?"

"Damnit, you stupid brat!"

The Suna ninja boy pulled off the thing wrapped on his back.

"Kankuro, you can't use that!"

"Kankuro, don't. You're a disgrace to our village."

Sasuke froze and look over at the tree branch beside him. There was a red haired boy hanging upside down. He had the kanji for love written on his forehead.

Emiko squealed. The red haired boy looked like a giant panda.

"B-but they started it, Gaara! The little one slammed into me!"

"Shut up or I'll kill you."

Gaara looked over at Sasuke.

"Sorry about them."

Gaara vanished and then reappeared beside Kankuro and Temari.

"I know we're early, but you need to behave."

"We're sorry, Gaara. It won't happen again."

The three Suna ninja turned to leave, but Sakura stopped them.

"Wait! You three are from Suna, right? Even if you're our allies, you can't just come into Konoha without authorization. State your business here!"

Temari smirked.

"Wow, you're really clueless aren't you. We're here to take the chunin exam."

Naruto blinked in confusion and looked up at Emiko.

"Isn't that what you're here to take, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko nodded and hopped down from the tree.

Kankuro looked at Emiko and laughed.

"You're just a kid. How do you expect to take this exam?"

Emiko frowned and walked up to Kankuro. She glared up at him and kicked him right in the shin. She quickly ran and hid behind Naruto, sticking her tongue out at the howling Kankuro.

Naruto blinked and looked back at the foreign ninjas.

"So, uh, what exactly is the chunin exam?"

Temari rolled her eyes and began explaining the chunin exam to Naruto. She became annoyed when Naruto began talking excitedly to Konohamaru.

Sasuke finally jumped down from the tree, ignoring the fact that Emiko had once again attached herself to his leg.

"What's your name?"

Temari blushed.

"Are you talking to me?"

"No, I'm talking to the creep beside you."

Gaara stared back at him emotionlessly.

"Sabaku no Gaara."

Emiko squealed and ran over to Gaara, hugging his legs.

"It's nice to meet you, Panda-san!"

Temari and Kankuro began panicking, fearing Gaara would kill the small girl. Gaara simply looked down at the grinning child at his legs. He wasn't quite sure how to react to this child touching him.

"Emiko, come here."

Emiko's smile faded and she looked back at Sasuke. It was the first time he had ever used her name. She scrambled over to him and clutched onto his pants. She smiled softly at Gaara.

Gaara said nothing and looked up at Sasuke.

"What's your name?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Hey, don't you wanna know my name?"

Gaara took one look at Naruto.

"No."

The three sand ninja vanished. Sasuke smirked, thinking about how interesting things were getting.

"Come on, Emiko. We're going home. We have to meet Kakashi tomorrow morning."

Emiko nodded. She held Sasuke's hand and let him lead her away.

Later that evening, Emiko was sitting in Sasuke's bath, splashing around in the bubble bath the Sasuke had bought for her. She giggled happily as she blew some into the air. She heard the doorknob turning and quickly ducked under the water.

When Sasuke walked into the bathroom with a towel, he was greeted by a stream of water in his face. He felt his eyes twitched as he saw Emiko's head peeking up from the bathtub's edge.

"You think that's funny, Munchkin-chan?"

Sasuke came over and sat on the tiled floor. He stuck his hands in the water and squirted water into Emiko's face. He smirked at Emiko's shocked face. What happened next was an all out water war between the two. Soon, Sasuke was just as soaked as Emiko. Emiko burst out laughing.

"Cockatoo-san looks like a drowned rat."

"Well, you looked like a wet dog."

Emiko huffed.

"I'm ready to get out of my bath."

Sasuke drained the water and began drying the little four year old off. He yanked one of his old t-shirts over Emiko's head. He picked her up and carried her into his room. Sasuke arranged the pillows so that Emiko would have one. He placed her in the bed and then crawled in beside her. Sasuke pulled the covers up to her chin and rolled over onto his side.

Emiko sat up and gave Sasuke a confused look.

"I thought I was supposed to sleep on the couch, Cockatoo-san."

Sasuke looked back over his shoulder and forced Emiko to lay back down.

"Just shut up and go to sleep, Munchkin-chan."

Emiko pouted but did as she was told. Soon she was sound asleep, snuggled against Sasuke's back.

The next morning, Emiko felt someone shaking her. She growled at the person and tried to move away. When the person persisted with their shaking, Emiko's fist shot up.

"Damnit, Munchkin! You hit my nose!"

Emiko cracked one eye open. She was greeted by the sight of a very angry Sasuke holding his nose. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Good morning, Cockatoo-san."

Sasuke removed his hand from his nose. It was slightly red but not bleeding.

"Get up. We've got to go meet Kakashi-sensei at the bridge."

Emiko nodded and hopped out of the bed. She went into the bathroom and went about her morning rituals. When she came out, she saw breakfast sitting on the table.

"Hurry up and eat. I put some clothes on the bed for you to change into."

Emiko sat down at the table and happily ate the toast that Sasuke had prepared for her. She then hopped down from her chair and went back into the bathroom. She frowned when she saw the clothes laid out for her. It was one of Sasuke's old shirts and a pair of his old pants. Emiko walked out of the room and began looking for a pair of scissors. When she finally found a pair, she went back into the room and cut the high collar off the black shirt. Satisfied, she put the clothes on and came out of the room.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything at Emiko's adjustment to the clothes. The pants were a little baggy on her and the shirt would occasionally slip down onto her shoulder. Sasuke actually thought she looked adorable.

"Let's go, Munchkin-chan."

The two made their way out of the apartment and to the meeting bridge. Sakura was already there and looked exhausted. When she saw Emiko, though, she became furious.

"What are you doing wearing Sasuke-kun's clothes?"

"All my clothes are dirty so Cockatoo-san let me borrow his clothes."

Emiko saw Naruto running up and she quickly ran towards him to get away from Sakura. She wrapped her arms around his legs and gave him a tight hug.

"Good morning, Kitsune-san!"

Naruto patted her head and then walked over to Sakura. The two began complaining about how long Kakashi was making them wait.

Emiko went back over to Sasuke and yawned. She hated having to wake up early. She tugged on his shirt and pouted up at him.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sleepy."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"Hold me."

"I'm not holding you."

"Please?"

Sasuke looked away, avoiding the puppy eyes Emiko was giving him. He glanced back down and saw that Emiko had now made tears form in her eyes. He sighed and picked Emiko up, letting her wrap her arms around his neck.

Emiko yawned and buried her face in Sasuke's neck, falling asleep instantly.

She was awoken a few hours later by the sound of Sakura and Naruto screaming at Kakashi. She slowly blinked her eyes open and listened to Kakashi explain that he had nominated Team 7 for the chunin exam.

"You must fill out this application if you choose to compete. The exam is entirely voluntary."

"Kakashi-sensei, I love you!"

Naruto had tackled Kakashi and was hugging him tightly. Kakashi finally managed to pry Naruto from his neck. He handed out the applications to Team 7 and gave one to Emiko as well.

"If you want to take the exam, you must be at the academy by 4 pm tomorrow. Good luck."

Sasuke put Emiko down and took her hand. He, Emiko, and Naruto all walked ahead of Sakura, ignoring the sad look on her face.

Emiko turned around and gave Sakura a thoughtful look. She tugged on Sasuke's hand.

"Hey, Cockatoo-san, is it okay if I go eat lunch with Pinky-san?"

Sasuke gave Emiko a curious look but nodded his head. He handed her some money.

"Just be sure to be home before dark."

Emiko nodded and went back over to Sakura. She gave her a warm smile.

"Wanna go get some ramen with me, Pinky-san?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and reluctantly nodded.

Emiko took Sakura's hand and led the way to Ichiraku. They sat down and both ordered one bowel. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"You know, if you didn't focus so much on Cockatoo-san, you'd be a great ninja."

Sakura frowned and glanced over at Emiko.

"What do you know? You're just a kid."

"So what? At least I don' obsess over boys. If you just focused on becoming stronger, Cockatoo-san would acknowledge you."

Sakura took another few bites of her ramen.

"I'm not going to take the chunin exam."

"I thought so. You shouldn't give up that easily. I heard what Cockatoo-san said to you. Right now, you are worse than Naruto. But, I think if you take the exam, you can become much stronger."

Emiko put her money on the counter and hopped off her stool.

"I better get home before Cockatoo-san freaks out. See you tomorrow, Pinky-san."

Sakura said nothing. She just stared at her ramen.

XxTime PassXx

Emiko was wearing her Akatsuki dress and her hair was in a braid with a red ribbon holding it together. She stood beside Sasuke, holding onto his hand. Sakura was standing beside Sasuke, looking sad and hesitant.

Finally, Naruto came running up to them and began badgering Sakura with questions. The four made their way into the building and what they saw, made them stop and watch.

A boy with strange eyebrows and a bowel cut hairstyle was getting beat by two smaller boys.

"This is pathetic. All you punks think you can enter the chunin exam?"

A girl with two buns on the side of her head stepped forward.

"Please let us through."

Her answer was a sharp slap to the face.

"We're just here to weed out all the losers."

Sasuke stepped forward with Emiko still attached to him.

"That's all well and fine. Now, why don't you just drop your illusion. I need to get to the third floor and this kid here is getting antsy."

One of the boys smirked.

"So you figured it out?"

"Sakura was probably the first to figure it out. She's the best in our cell at analyzing and illusion arts. Right, Sakura?"

Sakura smiled and nodded.

"Of course I noticed. It's obvious we're on the second floor still."

The illusion dropped. One of the boys smirked.

"Not bad. But seeing through it isn't enough!"

The boy kicked out at Sasuke. Sasuke shoved Emiko out of the way and retaliated. They were both stopped by the strange boy with the bushy brows.

Emiko began crying and Sakura helped her up from her place on the floor. She wiped away Emiko's tears and helped her dust her dress off.

A boy with pale lavender eyes glared at the strange boy.

"Wasn't it your idea for us to not draw attention to ourselves?"

"Yes, but…"

The strange boy looked over at Sakura. He walked over and stood in front of her.

"You're Sakura, aren't you? I'm Rock Lee. Would you like to go out with me? I'll protect you with my life!"

Emiko giggled at the annoyed look on Sakura's face.

"No way."

Emiko ran over to Sasuke and listened to him and the boy with the lavender eyes talk to each other. She walked up to the older boy and began jumping in front of him and waving her arms. The boy was becoming annoyed and he glared down at Emiko.

"What are you doing?"

"I thought you were blind. I just wanted to see if you could see me. What's wrong with your eyes, Blindy-san?"

The boy glared at the child and walked away.

Emiko went back over to Sasuke and stuck her tongue out at the boy's back.

"I saw that."

Emiko let out a small eep and hid behind Sasuke. Sakura and Naruto came over. Sakura came over and grabbed both Sasuke and Naruto's hands while Emiko held Sasuke's left hand.

They had gone into another room before they heard another voice.

"You with the scowl, I want to fight you."

The four turned around and saw Rock Lee.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"You want to fight me right now?"

The boy jumped down and stood in front of the group.

"My name is Rock Lee. What is yours?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"I would like to test the effectiveness of my techniques against the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan. Also…"

He looked over at Sakura and winked at her. He then blew her a kiss.

Sakura screamed and fell down, avoiding the kiss.

Emiko was howling with laughter at the whole scene.

"You guys are funny."

"I'll take you on!"

Emiko watched as Naruto ran at Lee and was taken out within moments. She sat down as Sasuke and Lee began their fight. She was completely shocked when Sasuke was pummeled by the other boy.

"What are you doing, Cockatoo-san? Kick his ass!"

Just as Lee was about to do something to Sasuke (Emiko wasn't quite sure what), A pinwheel flew out of nowhere and pinned Lee's bandages to a wall. Sasuke began falling and Sakura caught him. Emiko ran over and hugged Sasuke tightly around the neck. She began kissing his cheeks, trying to calm his trembling.

Naruto walked over and crouched down beside the other three.

"Um, is that turtle yelling at bushy brows?"

Sure enough, when the other three looked up, a giant turtle was reprimanding Lee. Sasuke was finally recovering. He roughly pushed Emiko away from him and stood up. When he saw her sniffling, he pulled her over with one arm and stroked her hair apologetically.

"He's all yours, Gai-sensei."

There was a cloud of smoke and then….

"Ah, the exuberance of youth! You are all full of it!"

"Ahhh!!"

Emiko screamed and hid behind Sasuke.

"It's good to see you again, Emiko-chan! How are you doing?"

Sakura looked down at Emiko.

"You know that freak!?"

"He was at the meeting that Kakashi-sensei took me to. He scares me."

"Lee, you're an idiot!"

Gai punched Lee in the face, sending him flying through the air. The group of four looked on in shock. Gai then kneeled beside Lee.

"Sensei.."

"Not another word, Lee!"

"Sensei!"

The two embraced. Emiko giggled up at Sasuke.

"You got beat by a weirdo!"

Sasuke responded by flicking her in the back of her head.

"I'm assuming you three are Kakashi's students. How is he?"

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow.

"You know him?"

Suddenly, Gai was behind them.

"I should say so. We're arch-rivals. The current score is fifty to forty-nine. I'm stronger than him."

He winked down at Emiko. Emiko growled at him and moved over to hide behind Naruto.

"I must ask you to forgive Lee for starting this fight. Now, all of you should head up to the exam room. Goodbye."

Gai disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Lee began rewrapping his bandages.

"By the way, Sasuke, I lied earlier. I'm not the strongest genin of Konoha. The strongest is a member on my team and I intend to beat him, and you, in this exam. I shall see all of you soon."

Lee disappeared as well.

"Well that sucks. Maybe the Uchiha's aren't all that great."

"Shut up, Naruto! The next time I see him, he's dead."

Naruto's grin faded.

"You saw his hands though, right? He's gotten even more special training then you."

Sasuke smirked.

"Things are getting more interesting. Let's go, Sakura, Naruto, Emiko."

"Yay! Cockatoo-san is back to normal!"

Emiko hopped onto Sasuke's back and forced him to carry her to room 301. When they reached the room's door, Kakashi was waiting for them.

"Nice to see you made it, Sakura. Now all of Team 7 can apply."

"What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?"

"The chunin exam is set up for three man cells."

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Emiko.

"What about her? She's not on a team! She's by herself!"

"Emiko is, how shall I put this, a very special and unique case. Anyways, you may all go and take the exam. I'm very proud of all of you."

"Let's go, guys!"

The four made their way into the room, not sure what to expect.

**And now the chunin exams shall begin! So I'm totally sad! I had to go pick my sister up from school and I ran over a squirrel! It was horrible! I start this fitness boot camp thingy on Monday so wish me luck! Thank you so much for all of your amazing reviews!! **


	12. Phase One

**Author's Note: I'm sorry this one took so much longer to get out. I started my second job and now not only do I have to deal with four year olds, but also 4****th**** and 5****th**** graders!! They're pretty cool though. They're obsessed with Naruto and keep quizzing me. It's cute . Anyways, enjoy!!**

Emiko stood as close to Sasuke as physically possible. She was not used to being surrounded by so many people. She adjusted the rain headband around her neck nervously.

"There you are, Sasuke-kun!"

A blonde blur attached itself to Sasuke. Emiko was knocked to the ground from the impact. She looked up and saw a blonde girl clinging to the annoyed Sasuke.

"Ino, you pig! Get your hands off of Sasuke!"

Emiko stayed on the ground, listening to the two girls argue. She couldn't understand why girls would fight over a boy that was clearly not interested in them.

"You three should just drop out and save yourselves the embarrassment of failing."

Naruto glowered at the boy with the ponytail that had just walked up.

"Shut up, Shikamaru!"

Emiko finally got up and stood beside Naruto.

"Who are they, Kitsune-san?"

"The guy with the ponytail is Nara Shikamaru. He's lazy and complains about everything. The fat one eating the chips is Akimichi Chouji. He's constantly eating but never call him fat to his face. The blonde thing is Yamanaka Ino. She's Sakura's rival and another Sasuke groupie."

"Hey, there you guys are!"

Emiko turned around and saw a boy with a jacket on and a dog on his head.

"Puppy!"

They boy quirked and eyebrow at Emiko.

"Who's the kid, Naruto?"

Emiko ran and hid behind Sasuke, who had finally gotten Ino off of him. Emiko held Sasuke's hand tightly. There were just too many people.

Naruto laughed. "That would be Emiko. We found her on the way home from a mission."

Kiba looked around at the group. "So it looks like the gang is all here. I wonder how far all of us will get. What do you think, Sasuke?"

Sasuke smirked and squeezed Emiko's hand reassuringly. "Trying to psych us out by acting cool, Kiba?"

"I'm don't need to act. With the way we've been training, there's no way any of you can beat us!"

Naruto growled. "Oh shut up, Kiba! You couldn't beat me, much less Sasuke!"

Emiko was now standing in between Sasuke and Naruto, looking at the girl with the strange eyes staring at Naruto. She once again tugged on Naruto's sleeve.

"Who are they, Naruto?"

Naruto leaned down and began whispering in Emiko's ear. "The girl is Hyuga Hinata. She won't ever look me in the eye and she's really shy. The loudmouth is Inuzuka Kiba and the mutt on his head is Akamaru. He's more obnoxious then me and he's always throwing his weight around. I don't know much about the other guy but his name is Aburame Shino."

Emiko nodded and gave a shy smile to Hinata. She instantly like the brunette because she wasn't loud like Sakura and Ino.

"Why don't all of you guys just shut up. You're all just out of the Academy aren't you?"

A boy with silver hair tied in a ponytail had walked over to the group. He wore glasses and had a Konoha headband around his forehead.

Ino frowned. "Who are you to tell us what to do?"

"My name is Kabuto. You guys should pay closer attention to your surroundings."

The group looked around and saw all the other people glaring at them. Emiko hid behind Sasuke when she saw a particularly angry group of Rain ninja. If they saw her, they would surely tell Konan where she was.

Kabuto looked down at Emiko and his eyes widened in surprise. "I see your from the Rain village. Is your temper as bad as those guys over there? Where are your teammates?"

Emiko quickly shook her head and buried her face in Sasuke's back. She didn't like the vibe Kabuto gave off.

Kabuto raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, kid, I didn't mean any harm. Listen, I was just warning you guys before someone beat the crap out of you."

Kabuto kneeled down and smiled as warmly as possible at Emiko.

"What's your name, kiddo?"

Emiko hesitantly peeked around Sasuke. "Emiko…"

"So, Kabuto, the way you were talking, it sounds like you've taken this exam before." Sakura said.

"This is actually the seventh time I've taken this exam. Twice a year for four years now."

Sakura's eyes widened in amazement. "Could you give us some tips since you know so much?"

"Sure. I've got these shinobi skill cards with all the information you'll need."

Emiko was only half listening as Kabuto explained how the shinobi skill cards worked. She was more interested in the strange chakra she could sense. It was familiar, and very foreboding. Emiko made sure to stay as close to Sasuke as physically possible. She jumped when she heard the very loud and familiar voice of Naruto.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto and none of you are going to beat me!"

Emiko laughed. Hearing Naruto's overconfident war cry gave Emiko the confidence to finally step out from behind Sasuke and stand beside him.

Sasuke was smirking at Naruto's loud decree. He ruffled Emiko's hair affectionately, glad that she was finally getting over being scared.

The other genin simply rolled their eyes at Naruto's brashness and Sakura attempted to quell the angry crowd.

Suddenly, Emiko saw one of the Sound Ninja leap at Kabuto. He threw two kunai at Kabuto. Kabuto dodged the kunai and then came face to face with the ninja. The ninja swung his arm at Kabuto but Kabuto managed to dodge. When Kabuto's glasses broke, everyone was shocked.

"He dodged the blow. How were his glasses broken?" Sasuke said.

"Are you okay, Creepy-san?"

Before Kabuto could respond, he began throwing up. Sakura and Naruto rushed over, trying to make sure Kabuto was okay.

One of the Sound ninja smirked. "You're pretty pathetic considering you've taken this test seven times."

Emiko shuddered and hid behind Sasuke again. She was having second thoughts about taking this exam. The people here reminded her of the pickpocket that had tried to hurt her years ago. Only this time, Deidei and Danna wouldn't show up to save her. She was truly on her own now.

"Everyone shut up!"

A cloud of smoke appeared in the front of the room. When the smoke cleared a man with a bandana around his head stood in front of a large group of Konoha ninja. The man had a number of scars covering his face.

"My name is Morino Ibiki and I will be the chief proctor of this exam." He pointed a finger at the three Sound ninja. "You three cannot carry on in any way you please. If you do something like that again, you'll be disqualified."

"Sorry, sir, this is our first exam."

Ibiki smirked. "Then allow me to lay down some ground rules. First of all, there will be no fighting without the express permission of the examiner. Now then, everyone turn in your applications and get a seat number. Once everyone is seated, we'll begin the written exam."

Emiko pulled out her number and ran to her seat. She frowned when she saw that she was sitting next to one of the Rain ninja. The Rain ninja looked at Emiko in surprise.

"What are you doing here, Emiko-sama?! Pein-sama has been worried about you!"

Emiko frowned and pinched his arm. "Be quiet! I don't want everyone knowing who my Papa is. And don't you dare tell Papa where I am. I'll go back after the chunin exam."

The Rain Ninja quickly shut his mouth and faced forward. Emiko listened to Ibiki's explanation of the test. She took one look at the test and saw that she didn't know any of the answers. Emiko decided she would simply rely on the tenth question to get her through the first exam. She was too tired to try and cheat anyways. Emiko laid her head down on the desk and fell asleep.

Sasuke was sitting behind Emiko and trying to figure out what kind of jutsu she was using. When he saw that Emiko had started drooling, he sighed.

Despite the fact that she was asleep, Emiko was acutely aware of everything going on around her. She could feel Naruto's panic almost like it was her own. Finally, Emiko fell into a deep enough sleep that she began dreaming.

_It was pitch black. Emiko saw a light far away and ran towards it. When she finally reached it, her breath was stolen from her. Sakura stood before her Danna. Danna had two swords piercing his heart._

_"Danna!"_

_Emiko saw a slightly older version of herself run up to Danna. The other Emiko was sobbing and hugging Sasori tightly. Sasori raised a shaky wooden hand and placed it on top of Emiko's head._

_"Emiko, go with the Konoha ninja."_

_The scene faded and Emiko now saw Kakazu fighting Kakashi. Kakashi tore through Kakazu's chest, instantly killing the Akatsuki member. _

_Another scene appeared. Hidan's head was down in a hole with Shikamaru standing over it._

_"Where's the brat? Is she okay?"_

_Shikamaru looked indifferently at Hidan. "She's not with us anymore. She's with Sasuke."_

_Hidan smiled. "It figures she'd go with the Uchiha. Please tell me at least this; when you last saw her, was she happy?"_

_Shikamaru hesitated. "Yeah. She was happy when she was with us."_

_"Good."_

_Emiko now saw the older her hiding behind a tree while Deidara and Sasuke were fighting. Deidara was becoming desperate. He had torn off the stitches that kept the mouth on his chest closed. Without warning, he blew himself up._

_The last scene Emiko saw was Sasuke and Itachi fighting. Itachi was coughing up blood and dragging himself towards Sasuke. He poked Sasuke in the forehead and then collapsed, dead. Sasuke collapsed shortly after._

_The older Emiko ran and squished herself in between the two ninjas. She held both their hands and cried._

"Emiko-sama, wake up." The Rain ninja shook Emiko. "The proctor is giving the tenth question."

Emiko lifted her head up. There were wet splotches all over her paper. She looked behind her and directly at Sasuke, her eyes red and puffy. She didn't like that dream she had had. It reminded her of one she had when she was much younger.

"First of all, you must choose whether you accept or reject this tenth question. If you choose to reject the question, you automatically fail along with your teammates."

"Then why would anyone choose to reject the question!?" a random ninja asked.

"Because if you choose to accept the question and get it wrong, you will never be able to take the chunin exam again. If you choose to reject the question, raise your hand."

Everyone was shocked. Slowly though, ninja began raising their hands. Emiko wasn't worried about the question; she was certain she could answer it. She was surprised though when she saw Naruto raise his hand.

Naruto slammed his hand down on the desk. "Never underestimate me! I refuse to quit and I'll never run! I'll accept your question! Even if it means I may end up being a genin for the rest of my life, I'll become Hokage through pure stubbornness if I have to! I'm not scared!"

Emiko squealed and jumped on top of her desk. She leapt over to Naruto and latched herself onto his neck. "Yay, Kitsune-san! You're awesome!"

Naruto grinned proudly and hugged Emiko back.

Ibiki frowned. "I'll give you one last chance. This decision could affect the rest of your life."

Naruto continued grinning, pulling Emiko in front to sit in his lap. "I never go back on my word. That's my shinobi way."

Ibiki smirked. "Good call. The rest of you that are here, you have all just passed the first exam!"

Everyone's faces showed their shock.

"How could we have passed?" Sakura asked. "What about the tenth question?"

"There is no tenth question beyond the acceptation or rejection."

Temari was furious. "So those other nine questions were a complete waste our time!"

Emiko frowned and turned around to look at Temari. "They weren't a waste, Blondie-san. You were supposed to show how good of a spy you were." Emiko turned back to Ibiki. "Right, Scar-san?"

Ibiki grinned and nodded his head. "You're very observant, Emiko-san. If you are caught on a mission, you may not just be killed." Ibiki removed his bandana and revealed many scars and burns on his head.

"Wow, you really are Scar-san, Scar-san!"

Sakura's face showed mortification. "Emiko, show some respect!"

Ibiki chuckled and put his bandana back on. He began explaining how a chunin must take missions that may cross enemy territory without knowing anything about the enemy.

Everyone was excited now that they had passed the first exam. Suddenly a whirl of wind appeared beside Ibiki. A woman appeared with an open jacket on over a fishnet shirt.

"None of you are in any position to be celebrating! I am the second examiner Mitarashi Anko! Everyone, follow me!"

Everyone looked at Anko strangely. Emiko pouted and looked up at Naruto.

"Why are there so many weird people at this test, Kitsune-san?"

Anko frowned. "Ibiki, you let way too many teams pass. Whatever, I'll cut that number down by half in the next test. Everyone, it's time to go! I'll explain the rules when we get to our destination."

The group followed Emiko to a heavily gated forest. Emiko shuddered and tugged on Sasuke's shirt, hoping he would pick her up. When he did so, she snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. The vibe the forest was giving off frightened her.

Anko turned and smirked at the group. "This is where you will have the second exam. This place is called the Forest of Death. All of you are going to find out first hand where it got it's name."

Naruto began mocking Anko. Anko simply smiled and threw a kunai at Naruto, cutting his cheek. She appeared behind him and began licking the blood off his cheek.

"Your kind are always the first to go."

Anko frowned and quickly whipped out another kunai. A Grass ninja had appeared behind her, holding her kunai knife with her tongue.

Emiko saw that and began shaking uncontrollably. That person reminded her so much of Bad Hebi that she couldn't stop the small whimper that escaped her.

Sasuke looked down and forced Emiko to look at him. "What's wrong?"

Emiko shook her head but tears began falling from her eyes. "I'm scared, Sasu-chan. I-I don't think I can take this exam."

Sasuke carried Emiko to the edge of the group and sat on a rock. He rocked her back and forth, trying to sooth her. Sometimes, he forgot how young Emiko really was.

"You'll be okay, Emiko. I swear to you, I won't let anything happen to you."

Emiko took in a shaky breath. She looked up at Sasuke, their eyes connecting. "You promise, Sasu-chan? Please don't let Bad Hebi get me."

Sasuke smiled and wiped her tears away. "I won't let Bad Hebi or anyone else hurt you. Hey, you stopped calling me by that stupid name. Though, Sasu-chan really isn't that much better."

Emiko laughed and hugged Sasuke tightly. "Sasu-chan is important to me. I only call my important people by their names."

Sasuke smiled and put Emiko down. The two walked hand in hand back over to where Naruto and Sakura were.

Anko had just begun passing out the consent forms and explaining the exam. Emiko didn't even read the consent form and signed it.

"Okay everyone, you have 120 hours to complete this exam. When you turn in your consent forms, your team will get a scroll and you will choose which gate to go to. Only one team at each gate."

Emiko's eyes widened. She was going to be separated from Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura. She looked at Sasuke with scared eyes.

Sasuke knelt down and put a reassuring hand on Emiko's shoulder. "I know you can do it. Be strong and don't you dare lose your scroll. We'll all make it to the third exam, understood?"

Emiko nodded her head and put on a brave face. This was the whole reason she had taken the exam; to prove to her Papa that she wasn't useless, that she could take care of herself. If she relied on Sasuke, she was still showing she needed help. Emiko went up and turned in her form. She was handed a scroll and led away to the second gate.

The proctor opened the gate. Without any hesitation, Emiko ran in, determined to prove herself to everyone.

**I finally finished!! I'm so sad though! I only have one day left with my four year olds and then they all go to Kindergarten! I'm going to miss all of them so much! On the plus side, I've gone down two pant sizes . Hooray for CJ and his yelling! You know the drill. Leave reviews and I'll give you a new chapter.**


	13. Phase Two

**Sorry I haven't been updating as often. I've had my hands full at work with "charming" 3****rd****-6****th**** graders. I'll try and update at least once a week but no promises. On the plus side, I got to go see the Bleach movie!! Here Sakura02! It's the new chapter so stop threatening me! **

Emiko jumped from tree to tree, forming a plan in her head. She knew the first thing she wanted to do was find Sasuke. She hated being alone more than anything else. She was used to constantly having people around her.

"Well, what do we have here? What's a kid doing out here by herself?"

Emiko paused on a tree branch and looked behind her. A team of sand ninja stood behind her. One of them stepped forward, smirking.

"Looks like we got lucky. We found the one little kid in this entire thing. Hand over your heaven scroll."

Emiko cocked her head to the side. "You have the earth scroll?"

The boy frowned. "What's your point? We're going to take your scroll so it doesn't really matter."

Emiko smiled and clapped her hands together. "This is going to be fun!"

The boy snarled and charged at Emiko. Emiko jumped up into the air and came back down, her foot planted right on the boy's upturned face. She immediately charged at the remaining two, her empty hands stretched to the side.

"Ichijinnokaze Toujin!"

A blade made out of wind appeared in each of Emiko's hands. She sliced the remaining two members in their sides, ignoring the blood that hit her face. She turned around and grinned and the remaining boy.

"Wanna give me the scroll now?"

The boy squealed and threw the scroll at Emiko and ran off, leaving his teammates behind.

Emiko looked at the two teammates laying on the ground. She sighed and poked the female in the head. When the girl looked wearily up at her, Emiko grinned.

"You'll be okay. I made sure to not hit any of your vitals. You might want to hurry up and catch up with your teammate. He ran like a little baby."

The other two scrambled up and limped off after their teammate. Emiko grinned proudly at herself, clutching the earth scroll tightly to her chest. Now all she had to do was make her way to the tower.

"Well, you've grown up quite a bit haven't you, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko felt a chill run up her spine. She turned around slowly. What she saw made her eyes widen in fear.

"W-why are you here?"

Orochimaru smirked at the small child. He appeared in front of Emiko and gently stroked her cheek. His smirked widened at the paralyzed look on Emiko's face.

"I came to see you of course. I've missed you so much these past few years. Also, I came to see Sasuke-kun."

Emiko snapped out of her daze when she felt Orochimaru begin to twist her hair in his fingers. She jumped back and snarled at him.

"What do you want from Sasu-chan?! Leave us alone!"

Orochimaru chuckled. "I've already marked Sasuke-kun. He'll seek me out soon enough. So, Emiko-chan, which of the two brothers is more important to you?"

Emiko's snarl never left her face. "What are you talking about?"

"Which one is more important; Sasuke-kun or Itachi-kun?"

"'Tachi and Sasu-chan are brothers?"

Orochimaru appeared behind Emiko and hugged her tightly to him. "That's right. Itachi-kun never mentioned his brother to you, did he? He never told you his last name either so I guess it's no surprise that you didn't realize it." He lifted a strand of hair to his mouth and kissed it. "Do you know what Itachi-kun did to Sasuke-kun? He killed their entire clan and now Sasuke-kun lives to kill him. So, which will you choose?"

Emiko shook her head but didn't struggle out of Orochimaru's grip. "You're lying. 'Tachi would never do something like that! 'Tachi is a kind person!"

Orochimaru said nothing and moved Emiko's hair to one side, exposing her neck. "Did you know Itachi doesn't really care about you? He only acts kind to you so that he can use you. All you are to him, to all the Akatsuki, is a tool."

Emiko's vision blurred as tears formed in her eyes. "You're lying! Mama loves me! So does Papa and everyone else!"

"Emiko-chan, I can give you amazing powers if you'll join me. You want to prove to them that you're useful right? I can give you that power so that you can become the ultimate weapon."

Orochimaru tilted Emiko's head to the side. She had gone completely limp in his arms and didn't struggle. He leaned down, ready to give Emiko the curse mark…

"Get away from her!"

Anko tackled Orochimaru from the side. Her curse mark was still aching from her previous encounter with him but she wouldn't let him mark another child. "Run, Emiko!"

Emiko felt tears rolling down her cheeks but she ran. She ran as fast as she could through the trees, clutching her scrolls tightly to her. She wanted to find Sasuke now more than ever. She wanted to know he was okay.

After over an hour of searching, she saw Sakura.

"Pinky-san!"

Sakura's head shot up in surprise as Emiko attached herself to Sakura's waist. She stroked Emiko's hair soothingly when she realized Emiko was sobbing.

"What happened, Emiko?"

"Where's Sasu-chan!?"

Sakura motioned behind her at where Sasuke and Naruto lay, unconscious. Emiko scrambled over and cried when she saw the curse mark on Sasuke's neck. She held one of his hands tightly in both of hers.

"I'm sorry, Sasu-chan!"

Sakura came over and sat by Emiko. "It's not your fault, Emiko. That creep came out of nowhere."

"So, you've been up all night standing guard, eh?"

Sakura and Emiko spun around. The three sound ninja stood there, glaring at the two girls intently.

"Wake Sasuke for us. We want to fight him."

Sakura began shaking but pulled out a kunai and held it in front of her protectively. Emiko mimicked Sakura.

"What do you guys want? That guy Orochimaru just attacked us and you still want to fight Sasuke in the condition he's in?"

Zaku smirked. "Whatever. Now I definitely want to fight him." He noticed Emiko standing defiantly beside Sakura. "We'll also be taking the brat with us. Orochimaru is very interested in her."

Emiko whimpered and shrank back. "There's no way I'm going with you creeps!"

"Wait, Zaku."

Zaku growled. "Why?"

Dosu hopped down from the tree and began moving the dirt around. "There's grass in places it shouldn't grow, freshly turned stones, and exposed soil. Somebody has obviously set a trap."

Sakura narrowed her eyes but said nothing. Emiko had dropped her kunai and had her knees drawn up to her chest. The fact that these people wanted to take her back to Orochimaru, whom she had barely escaped hours earlier, terrified her.

"Well, will eliminate the girl that's useless to us and then will grab the brat and kill Sasuke."

Sakura smirked as the three jumped at them. She cut a wire and a huge log swung down towards the oncoming sound ninja.

Dosu laughed. "Very funny!"

He placed his hand on the log and destroyed it. The three continued coming at them. Sakura was in shock as was Emiko. They were completely helpless.

"Konoha Hurricane!"

A blur of green knocked the sound ninja back. Emiko looked back and let out a shaky laugh.

"Fuzzy-san saves the day!"

Dosu was shocked. "Who are you?"

Lee smirked. "I'm Konoha's Handsome Blue Beast, Rock Lee."

Sakura was still badly shaken from the previous events. "Why did you come?"

Lee smiled. "I came because you needed me. I always will."

Sakura sniffled. "I don't know how to thank you."

"I promised to protect you until I die. I intend to keep that promise."

Emiko made a gagging noise. "You guys are way too mushy."

Sakura glared and smacked Emiko on the back of her head.

Emiko watched in awe as Lee ripped a tree up from the ground to block Dosu's attack. Lee took on the three sound ninja and it looked like he was going to win when he threw Dosu head first into the ground. When, Dosu got up and shook off the attack like it was nothing, Emiko knew they were in trouble.

Dosu swung his arm at Lee and Lee managed to dodge. Lee fell to the ground and began vomiting and his ears were bleeding. Emiko cried out in despair and Sakura remained shocked.

Lee bravely continued fighting but his efforts were in vain. Each blow was blocked and finally he was knocked down. Sakura finally leapt into action to try and protect Lee. Emiko stood up to try and help but was immediately grabbed by Dosu. He kept her in a tight headlock.

Sakura was throwing shuriken but they were all repelled. She fell to the ground when Kin grabbed her hair.

"Aw, your hair's so much shinier than mine. You're such a disgrace. Zaku, you should kill one of these guys in front of her."

Emiko began struggling in Dosu's grip, wanting desperately to help. She watched as Sakura pulled out another kunai and…cut her hair.

Kin fell back in shock. Sakura stood up with a look of determination on her face.

"Kin, finish her!"

Kin was too slow. Sakura had already used the substitution technique and was charging towards Zaku. She used another substitution to avoid Zaku's kunai. She appeared above him and this time allowed herself to be struck by the kunai. Zaku was shocked when he realized this and didn't have time to react when Sakura fell on him and began biting his arm.

"Get off of me!"

Zaku hit Sakura repeatedly in the head until he sent her flying. He held his hands out in front of him.

"You little bitch!"

Suddenly, Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru appeared in front of Sakura to protect her. Sakura was the most shocked.

"Ino…"

Ino smirked. "I told you I'd never let you show me up."

Emiko watched as the two teams began fighting. She continued to struggle against Dosu's strong grip. She didn't even realize that Lee's team had appeared. What made her body go limp with fear was the aura that had begun to emit from Sasuke.

"Who pummeled you into that state, Sakura?"

"Sasu-chan…"

Emiko was terrified. It was the same aura that Orochimaru gave off. She flinched when Sasuke looked over at her.

"Let my Emiko go."

Dosu immediately released Emiko but Emiko couldn't force herself to move.

"This is getting boring!"

Zaku prepared to attack Sasuke. Dosu's eyes widened in shock.

"Zaku, no!"

Emiko watched in horror as Sasuke appeared beside Zaku and knocked him away. What terrified her more was when Sasuke grabbed Zaku's arms and began pulling them backwards.

"You take such pride in these arms. It's time to say goodbye to them."

Sasuke began grinning insanely, reminding Emiko of Orochimaru. She felt bile rise up in her throat when she heard the sound of Zaku's arm breaking. When Sasuke turned towards Dosu, Emiko was completely paralyzed. She closed her eyes and began crying.

"Sasuke stop it!"

Emiko opened her eyes and saw Sakura hugging Sasuke. "Stop it, please! Look how badly you're scaring Emiko!"

Sasuke's eyes connected with Emiko and the curse marks slowly disappeared from his arms and face. Sasuke fell to the ground and groaned in pain.

Dosu had already grabbed Zaku and slung him over his back.

"I must ask you to let us go. To repay you for the inconvenience, you can have our scroll." He picked Kin up as well and began walking away.

"Wait!" Sakura cried. "What is Orochimaru up to?"

"We don't know." Dosu vanished.

Sasuke was trembling. He looked over to Emiko and saw that she was sobbing. "Emiko, come here."

Emiko shakily got up and ran over to Sasuke. She tackled him to the ground and kissed his cheek. She buried her face in his neck and let out a shaky sob. "I'm glad you're back to normal, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke tilted Emiko's face up and wiped her tears away. He hugged her tightly to him and kissed her head affectionately.

Emiko pulled away from Sasuke and grinned proudly. She pulled out her two scrolls and showed them to him. "Look, Sasu-chan! I got my scrolls already!"

Sasuke gave a shaky laugh and ruffled Emiko's hair. "That's my Emiko. I knew you could do it."

"Ah, Sakura, you're hair!"

Emiko looked up to see Naruto running towards them. "Hi, Kitsune-chan!"

Naruto blinked and looked at Emiko in surprise. "When'd you get here, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko smiled at Naruto. She then watched the drama that unfolded as Naruto insulted Lee and Sakura punched Naruto for insulting Lee. She looked up at Sasuke.

"You older kids are weird."

Sasuke smirked and flicked Emiko on the forehead. "You're a weirdo too. What kind of kid takes this exam?"

Emiko's smile faded. She thought back to her encounter with Orochimaru.

"Um…Sasu-chan…nevermind."

Sasuke gave Emiko a strange look but didn't press her. "Emiko, you should go on ahead to the tower. Wait for us there."

Emiko's eyes widened. "But I just found you guys. I can help you get your last scroll!"

Sasuke shook his head. "That's something that Sakura, Naruto, and I need to do. You can't jeopardize your chances of moving forward just for us. I promise we'll meet you there."

Emiko hesitated and then reluctantly nodded her head. She tugged on Sasuke's hair to make him lean down. She kissed him on the forehead and then hugged him tightly. "Don't lose yourself, Sasu-chan. I don't wanna have to choose between my two most important people in the world."

She got up and walked over to Sakura and hugged her before also hugging Naruto. Emiko then jumped into the trees and made her way to the tower.

It took about four hours for Emiko to get to the tower. When she got there, nobody else was there. A large sign with a poem was on one of the walls. She read it over carefully before opening her scrolls. When she did, Ibiki appeared.

"It's nice to see you again, Emiko-san."

Emiko grinned up at Ibiki. "Hello, Scar-san. Did I make it in time?"

Ibiki laughed. "Yes you did my dear. Come with me. I'll show you to the waiting area.

All the rookie nine (minus Naruto's team) and Lee's team were already there as well as the sand team with Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. Emiko didn't know what to do so she curled up in one of the corners, far away from the others.

"Hey, Emiko-chan, come over here with us! You don't need to hide."

Emiko looked up to see Ino waving excitedly at her. She hesitated before standing up and going over Ino and the other rookie nine.

"Can I play with your hair, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko nodded and allowed Ino to brush out her tangled hair. She let out a small sigh of contentment. The feeling reminded her of when her Mama would brush her hair.

"How did a kid like you manage to get into the chunin exams?"

Emiko looked up and saw it was Neji that had spoken. Before she could answer, the Third Hokage entered the room. He smiled at the group of genin assembled.

"The last team has arrived. It's time to start the next part of the exam."

**Yay!! I finished it and it's only 1:00 am!! For the record, when I was writing the scene between Emiko and Orochimaru, Poison by Alice Cooper was playing so I blame the song for the creepiness!! Please review and let me know what you thought. Also, in the next couple of days (or hours) I'm going to post some new stories on my account so check them out too . Much love to all my reviewers!!**


	14. Illness

**I'm extremely annoyed with the fillers that are playing for Naruto Shippuden. I'm tired of the obnoxious filler villains and the annoying whiny characters they add in. Sorry, just had to get that little rant out. **

**I would like to thank everyone that has reviewed so far. There are so many of you that I can't list all of you but I just want all of you to know that your reviews inspire and encourage me to keep writing. Thank you so much everyone!**

Konan sighed. She was sitting on Emiko's bed, smoothing out the sheets that hadn't been slept on in months. Konan felt herself choking up and quickly went into the bathroom. She saw a small pill bottle on the edge of the sink and gasped. She grabbed the bottle and ran into the main room where everyone was.

"Emiko forgot her medicine!"

Konan glared at Hidan and threw the pill bottle at him. "This is all your fault! How could you make my poor baby run away like that?! If she doesn't take her medicine, she'll get really sick!"

Itachi looked down at I-chan. He held it close to his chest and narrowed his eyes. Emiko had somehow gotten the same disease that ravaged Itachi's body. She had always been good at remembering to take her medicine and always reminded Itachi to take his. The fact that she had forgotten her medicine when she left meant that she must have been incredibly upset.

Kisame put a reassuring hand on Itachi's shoulder. "Emiko will be okay. She's a tough kid."

Konan looked up from throttling Hidan. "As long as she doesn't get too excited and exert herself too much, she should be fine."

Emiko stood beside Sasuke, holding his hand. They were all listening to the Third Hokage explain the purpose of the chunin exam. Emiko wasn't really listening. She wasn't feeling well. She began trembling and didn't even notice the new person that had begun speaking. She fell to her knees and covered her mouth. Emiko started coughing uncontrollably.

Sasuke kneeled down, shocked. "Emiko, what's wrong?"

Emiko shook her head, continuing to cough. Blood began to seep through her fingers.

Sasuke rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. When he saw the blood, he panicked. "We need a medic!"

Emiko shook her head when the medics came over. She had stopped coughing and wiped the blood off her mouth. "I'm okay." When the medics gave her a skeptical look, Emiko growled. "I said I'm fine!"

Suddenly, Emiko felt her vision blurring. The last thing she saw was Sasuke's surprised face.

_"I can't keep her. If he was to find out about her, he'd kill her." A woman's voice sounded distressed. _

_Emiko opened her eyes. She tried to speak but all that came out were baby noises. She held her hands up and saw they were much smaller. Her eyes connected with the eyes of the woman that had been speaking. The woman looked exactly like her except her eyes were a dark brown._

_The woman smiled at her. "Don't worry, sweetie. Everything will be okay."_

_Another woman spoke. "Why don't you just let us take care of her? Surely we of the Uchiha clan could protect her."_

_Emiko turned her head to see that the woman looked exactly like Sasuke but with long hair and, obviously, a woman. She made a small noise. _

_"Mom, Itachi won't train me!" A young Sasuke ran into the room, his arms crossed over his chest and his face set in a pout. _

_A younger looking Itachi came in behind Sasuke. "I already told him I have an important Anbu meeting to go to. Maybe tomorrow, Sasuke." Itachi glanced briefly at the small baby and walked out of the room._

_Mikoto Uchiha smiled warmly at Sasuke. "Sasuke, why don't you take Seika into your room and play with her. It would be good for the two of you to get to know each other."_

'Seika, who's that? Is it me? What's going on?'

_Sasuke came over and took 'Emiko' out of her mother's arms and took her into his room. He laid down on his bed and held her above him. "So you're my fiancé? You're awfully small."_

_'Emiko' giggled and reached out to Sasuke. Sasuke laughed and sat up, holding 'Emiko' in his lap. "You're not too bad though. Don't you dare tell anyone I said that."_

_'Emiko' and Sasuke's mothers both walked into the room, both with smiles on their faces. Mikoto took 'Emiko' from Sasuke and handed her back to her mother. "Sasuke, let's walk Seika and her mother to the door."_

_Sasuke and Mikoto walked 'Emiko' and her mother to the door. Mikoto waved at them as they stepped out. "Don't forget about my offer. We'd be happy to allow Seika to stay with us until he's caught."_

_"Thank you. I'll think about it." With that, she left, holding 'Emiko' close to her chest._

Emiko's eyes shot up. She sat up in the bed she was laying in. She looked around and realized she was in the hospital wing. Her hair was down and she wore a white hospital gown. She groaned and clutched the sides of her head. "Was that a dream? It felt so real though. Was it a vision?"

"What's wrong, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko looked up and saw Kakashi standing in the doorway. She thought for a moment before fixing Kakashi with a serious look. "If someone had been born here in Konoha, would there be a way to check it?"

Kakashi gave Emiko a curious look. "Yes. The hospital's keep records of everyone born in Konoha. Why do you want to know?"

Emiko looked down and began fiddling with her hands nervously. "I had a dream. I just wanted to know if it was true."

Kakashi came over and sat on the bed. He put a reassuring hand on Emiko's head. "Do you want to talk about it?" When she shook her head no, he sighed. "I'll need a name to find the record."

"It's Seika. The people in the dream were calling me Seika."

Kakashi got up and walked to the door. "I'll check on that right away. In the meantime, you focus on feeling better. The finals will start next week."

"How is Sasuke?"

Kakashi turned and smiled at her. "He's fine. He'll be competing in the finals so you need to come and cheer him and Naruto on."

Emiko grinned and nodded. "Yes sir, Pervert-san!"

Emiko was forced by the nurses to stay in her bed. They gave her different pills every couple of hours. Emiko was incredibly bored and was constantly trying to sneak out. After her fifth attempt at escape was foiled, Sakura came to visit her.

Sakura brought in a white Camellia and placed it in a small vase beside Emiko's bed. She smiled at Emiko and sat in the chair next to her bed. "How are you feeling, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm really bored and these stupid nurses won't let me do anything!"

Sakura giggled. "Can I brush your hair, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko hesitated before nodding. She smiled happily as Sakura brushed out all the tangles in her hair. The two sat in silence for nearly an hour before Sakura spoke.

"I'm jealous of you, Emiko-chan."

Emiko looked over her shoulder curiously. "How come?"

Sakura looked down at her hands. "You're very important to Sasuke-kun. He's always worried about you and lets you close to him. I've spent almost my whole life trying to get as close to him as you have in a couple of months."

Emiko sighed. "That's because you gush over him without knowing anything about him or really trying to find anything out about him. You and Blondie-san are attracted to his looks and his power but you don't know what he likes, dislikes, what makes him happy, or what makes him sad."

The two girls fell back into silence until Sakura heard a broken sob come from Emiko. She looked up and was shocked to see tears spilling from Emiko's eyes. "What's wrong, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko shook her head and covered her face with her arms. She began hiccupping in between her sobs. She didn't even acknowledge Sakura climbing into the bed beside her.

Sakura picked Emiko up and sat her in her lap. She rocked back and forth, humming softly to try and calm Emiko down.

"It's not fair…" Emiko cried. "I tried really hard to get into the exam and I got to the third round and everything and I didn't get to fight because of my stupid body. Hi-chan was right; I am useless! Papa should just kill me!"

"That's not true, Emiko-chan." Sakura continued to speak in a quiet, soothing voice. "You seem to forget, as do all of us, that you're only four. The fact that you got so far by yourself and being so young, is amazing. I'm sure your family would be very proud of you."

Emiko looked up at Sakura, her eyes red and puffy. She gave Sakura a shaky smile. "Thank you, Pinky-san. Did you make it into the finals?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, but I'm going to cheer Sasuke-kun and Naruto on. Are you going to be okay in time for the finals?"

"Hell yes! There's no way I'm going to miss Sasu-chan and Kitsune-chan's fights!"

Sakura gently hit Emiko on her head. "Watch your language young lady."

A nurse came in. "Visiting hours are over."

Sakura stood up from the bed and tucked Emiko in. "Get well soon, Emiko. I'll see you at the finals."

Emiko smiled and nodded. Once Sakura left, the nurse turned off the lights. Emiko turned over on her side and looked at the flower Sakura had brought her. She smiled warmly as a memory came to her.

_Emiko was running around excitedly. It was her fourth birthday and it had been one of the best days of her life. She had received a present from everyone but Zetsu and she was bound and determined to find him to find out why. She knocked on the door to his room. When she didn't receive an answer, she went inside._

_Zetsu sat on his bed, weaving small white flowers into a circle. He looked up when Emiko came in and motioned for her to come over. When she did, he placed the crown of white flowers on her head._

_Emiko smiled. "Thank you, 'Tsu! What kind of flowers are these?"_

_Both sides of Zetsu smiled. "They are White Camellias. Do you know what these flowers mean?" When Emiko shook her head negatively, Zetsu continued. "They mean that you are adorable."_

_Emiko beamed. "You think I'm adorable, Tsu?"_

_"All of us do. You are our precious little princess. Don't ever forget that nor allow anyone to make you think otherwise."_

Emiko closed her eyes and smiled. Her night was filled of dreams and memories both of her past and present precious people.

**I'm really sorry that I didn't discuss this idea with you, Briana-chan! The evil plot bunnies attacked me at midnight and I just had to write it down. So there's the fourteenth chapter finally completed. **

**Do you all want to know a secret? I know you do . My birthday is this Thursday! So you can all celebrate by leaving me reviews, okay? Don't worry, I'm going to update my other stories before my birthday as well so look forward to that. **


	15. The Finals

**This has been an incredibly difficult week for me….and it's only Wednesday! I got summoned for jury duty, 1****st**** graders called me fat, kicked each other, and colored all over the hallways of the school, a child busted their chin open, and another one said they wanted to die. Anyways…I'm going to start responding to you're reviews in my author notes so let's get to it!**

**FireFlame102: I'm glad you loved it.**

**nii-chan3: Thank you…I guess**

**Sakura02: Yay Photosynthesis!**

**frenchkiss101: Thank you!! Unfortunately, my wish for the kids in my class to not be evil didn't come true .**

**blackrose1097: Well, yes, originally they were but since Sasuke's entire family is dead and we don't know where Emiko's family is, the engagement is obviously off.**

**Ivvy-sama: That's awesome!! Again, it's obviously off, but who knows…maybe the others will find out…dun dun duuuun!**

**TaylorMasenCullen: I assume you meant to update soon so here you go!**

"Emiko, we're going to be late!" Sakura ran back into her room and frowned at the small girl sleeping on her bed. "Emiko, you're not even dressed yet!?"

Emiko groaned and slowly lifted her head from the pillow. After she had been released from the hospital, Sakura had offered to let Emiko stay at her house since Sasuke was missing. Emiko slowly rolled out of the bed in the large shirt Sasuke had given her earlier that month. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Why do we have to get up so early?"

Sakura put her hands on her hip and gave Emiko a disapproving look. "Come on, let's get you ready."

Sakura dragged Emiko into the bathroom and placed her on the counter. She helped the half-asleep Emiko brush her teeth. Then, she brushed Emiko's hair and put her hair into a braid tied with a red ribbon at the bottom. She dragged Emiko back into the room and helped her get into blue sundress. Sakura tied the Rain headband around Emiko's neck and carried her down the stairs. They went into the kitchen and Sakura shoved a piece of toast into Emiko's mouth, making sure Emiko chewed it before carrying her outside.

Ino was waiting outside, tapping her foot impatiently. "What took you so long?"

Sakura motioned to the half-asleep Emiko in her arms. "Emiko-chan didn't want to get up."

The trio made their way to the stadium and found seats. Emiko snuggled up in Sakura's lap. "Wake me up when Kitsune-san starts fighting."

Sakura smiled. "Okay." Ever since Emiko and Sakura had spoken in the hospital, the two had bonded somewhat. Sakura was still envious of Emiko's relationship with Sasuke and Emiko still thought that Sakura was too boy obsessed but the two had come to a sort of understanding with each other. Besides, Sakura loved to dress Emiko up.

The Hokage stood up and declared the finals were officially beginning and Naruto and Neji stayed in the arena.

Sakura shook Emiko. "Wake up. Naruto's fight with Neji is starting."

"Naruto has no chance against Neji." Ino said.

Emiko blinked the sleep from her onyx eyes and flicked Ino's arm. "Don't underestimate Kitsune-san. He's stronger than you think."

Emiko watched in awe as Naruto formed multiple shadow clones and charged at Neji. She had never really seen Naruto fight before so it was amazing to her. Emiko continued cheering throughout the match and at the same time, on the inside, she began to feel insecure. She knew she would have been no match for Neji or Naruto. Despite how strong her family told her she was, she realized now that she was nowhere near the level of the genin.

Finally, the match was over and Naruto stood victorious. Emiko squealed and stood up, clapping excitedly. She wiggled out of Sakura's grasp and skipped out onto the stairs. "I'm going to go congratulate, Kitsune-san."

Before Sakura could protest, Emiko skipped happily up the stairs and down a long hallway. She found the area where the competitors were waiting and jumped onto Naruto's back.

"You won, Kitsune-san!"

Naruto stumbled forward and quickly grabbed Emiko to prevent her from falling. "What are you doing here, Emiko-chan!? You're not supposed to be over here."

Emiko grinned. "I wanted to see you and Sasu-chan!" She looked around. "Where is Sasu-chan?"

Shikamaru sighed. "He hasn't shown up yet."

"He's probably decided it would be wise not to fight." Shino added.

Naruto felt Emiko hop off his back. He looked down and saw Emiko's crestfallen face. He smiled and knelt down to Emiko's level and ruffled her hair. "Those guys don't know what they're talking about. Sasuke will it definetly come."

Emiko smiled brightly. She hugged Naruto tightly. "Thank you, Naru-chan!"

Naruto grinned and picked her up, spinning her around. "Yay, you said my name!"

Emiko giggled. "It's because Naru-chan is very important to me too."

The proctor spoke, "One of the contenders for the next match has not yet arrived. Because of that, the match will be postponed and we shall proceed with the next match! The next match is Kankuro against Aburame Shino! Please come down!"

Kankuro hesitated. "I withdraw!"

Everyone was surprised. Emiko had now situated herself so that she was sitting on the railing, her legs dangling over the edge. She watched Temari open her fan and float down to the ground. She grinned over at Shikamaru. "Good luck, Lazy-san!"

Naruto pushed Shikamaru down into the arena. The group watched as Temari charged at Shikamaru. Emiko watched in fascination as Shikamaru plotted and avoided Temari's attacks. "Lazy-san is pretty amazing. Who do you think is gonna win, Naru-chan?"

Naruto grinned. "Shikamaru will definetly win!"

Gaara fixed the two with an evil glare. "Be quiet."

Emiko tilted her head to the side and smiled at Gaara. "Sorry, Panda-san. I'll be quiet."

When the group looked back down, Shikamaru had Temari locked in his Shadow Possession. The two were walking towards each other and Shikamaru made them raise their hands in the air.

"That's it, I'm done! I give up." Shikamaru said.

Everyone in the crowd was shocked. The proctor smiled. "The winner is Temari!"

Naruto frowned. "Why'd he give up!? I'm gonna go yell at him!"

Emiko remained in her seat and smiled. Seeing all these fights was getting her excited. She wanted to become stronger now so that someday she could fight with all of them. She looked back over at Gaara and frowned at the glare on his face. "What's wrong, Panda-san?"

Gaara growled but said nothing. They all watched as leaves began swirling around in the arena. As the leaves began to settle, Kakashi and Sasuke became visible.

Emiko squealed and jumped down. She ran over and hugged Sasuke tightly. "You're finally here, Sasu-chan!"

Sasuke smiled and picked Emiko up. "Did you really doubt that I wouldn't show up?"

Naruto grinned. "I was wondering if you got cold feet."

Sasuke smirked and put Emiko down, ruffling her hair. "Chill out, you big dork."

Emiko grinned and pulled on Sasuke's hand. She twirled around. "Do you like my dress? Pinky-san bought it for me while you were training."

"It's very nice, Emiko." Sasuke hid a small smile from Emiko's antics.

Emiko paused in her twirling and looked up at Sasuke. She thought back to the dream she had had in the hospital. "Um…Sasu-chan…do you remember…"

"It's time for all of you to get off the field so the match can begin." The proctor said.

Emiko bit her lip and looked back at Sasuke as Naruto held her hand, leading her towards the stairs. She would talk to him later about her dream. She soon forgot about her question as Naruto put her on his back and ran up the stairs with her.

"Naruto, slow down. You're going to drop the kid."

Naruto was about to retort when he paused on the stairwell. He quickly put Emiko down and kept her behind him. Naruto and Shikamaru peeked between the railings, keeping Emiko out of sight.

Gaara walked in between the two boys, completely ignoring them. Once he had passed, Naruto and Shikamaru collapsed. Emiko was shaking next to Naruto. She had never in her life felt such bloodlust. She began crying.

Shikamaru realized that Naruto wasn't going to comfort Emiko. He went over and picked Emiko up, bouncing her up and down in his arms. "Stop crying, it's okay. He's gone now."

Emiko shook her head. "I don't want Sasu-chan to fight him!"

Naruto stood up. "Shikamaru, we need to go see Kakashi-sensei."

Shikamaru looked over at him, still trying to sooth Emiko. "What are you thinking?" He was surprised when Naruto began running up the stairs. He quickly chased after him, still holding Emiko in his arms.

They made it over to where Kakashi was and Shikamaru put Emiko on the floor. Emiko was still crying and she ran over to Sakura and hugged her. "Don't let Sasu-chan fight Panda-san!"

Kakashi sighed. "None of you need to worry about it. There was a reason we were so late getting here." Naruto and Sakura began yelling at Kakashi. Kakashi sighed. "Just be quiet and watch."

The group watched as Sasuke jumped onto the wall and held his arm out in front of him. Kakashi smiled at the group. "The reason I took Sasuke under my wing is because he's very similar to me."

They watched as chakra formed in Sasuke's hand and made a high pitch noise. Kakashi explained the move to them and told them that the moves name was Chidori.

Suddenly white feathers floated around the entire arena and everyone, including Emiko, was knocked out.

**Hooray! I finally finished the fifteenth chapter. I can't believe I'm almost done with the first half. Don't forget to leave your awesome reviews!! **


	16. Sound vs Konoha

**I'm going to try and be more consistent with my updating so if you want to see the schedule, just go check out my profile. So I've been sick for like three days now which really sucks. I'm all better(ish) now though so I'm going to updating. This chapter is dedicated to my good friend Briana, who sadly must wait until October for the new Vampire Knight episodes.**

**Sakura02: Nah, Emiko-chan could never hate you because you helped create her . The fillers will start in the next chapter so, hooray!**

**Twilight Dark Angel: Hehe, I'm glad you like it so much. Now you can look forward to every Monday having a new chapter.**

**nichann3: You're welcome and here's a new one!**

**TaylorMasenCullen: Hehe, your welcome!**

"Emiko-chan, wake up! We've got to go help Sasuke-kun!"

Emiko groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Her sleepy eyes connected with Sakura's worried ones. Emiko sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "What happened?"

Sakura sighed with relief. "I'll explain later. Right now, I need to wake Naruto and Shikamaru up."

Emiko began shaking Shikamaru, trying to help. Naruto was finally up and the only person still asleep was Shikamaru. A small dog that Emiko hadn't noticed latched onto Shikamaru's leg, waking him up.

"Puppy!" Emiko grabbed the dog off of Shikamaru's leg and began cuddling it.

"Emiko, this is serious!" Kakashi said. "You, Sakura, Naruto, and Shikamaru have a very important mission. I'd rather not send you since your so young but it's too dangerous for you to stay here. The other children are already being led to the shelter by now."

"What are you talking ab—"

Sakura's face turned white. "Naruto, behind you!"

Gai knocked and Sound ninja into the wall behind Naruto. A large hole formed from the impact.

"As I was saying," Kakashi continued. "Chase after Sasuke and stop him. Once you have, wait somewhere safe until you receive new orders."

Before Naruto could ask anymore questions, Sakura dragged him through the hole in the wall. Shikamaru followed closely after with Emiko close on his tail. The group of five leapt through the trees with Sakura explaining what had happened. Emiko kept her eyes downcast.

"Will Sasu-chan be okay?"

Naruto grinned at her. "Don't worry, Emiko-chan. Sasuke's too stubborn to let himself get seriously hurt."

Emiko reluctantly nodded. One of her greatest fears was any of her family or precious people getting hurt.

Pakkun sniffed the air and his eyes widened. "Everyone, hurry up! There are nine shinobi on our tails!"

"They've already found us!?"

"They don't know our exact position but their gaining fast and are guarding against ambush."

The group began panicking. They quickly began brainstorming different ideas and came to one conclusion; somebody would have to stay behind as a decoy.

"So," Shikamaru said. "Does anybody want to volunteer to stay behind? We need the dog to be our guide and Emiko is way to young. Which means I've got to stay."

Shikamaru grabbed onto a tree branch and stopped himself. "I'm the only one here that has a chance of surviving. Also, my Shadow Possession is a restraining jutsu. So your four hurry up and get going! I'll catch up later."

Emiko, Sakura, and Naruto hesitated before leaping away. Emiko looked back over her shoulder. "Be careful, Lazy-san!"

The group had only gotten a few minutes away from Shikamaru when Pakkun sniffed the air again. "They're still gaining on us. Is he really trying to slow them down?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Maybe he ran off!"

Naruto frowned. "Shikamaru may be lazy but he's not a traitor."

"You need to have more faith in people, Pinky-san." Emiko added.

Another few minutes passed and Pakkun smiled. "They've stopped following us."

Emiko and Naruto grinned at each other. "That means that Shikamaru's plan worked!" Naruto said.

Emiko smiled reassuringly when she saw Naruto's serious face. "Don't worry about Lazy-san. He'll be okay."

"Sasuke has stopped moving," Pakkun said "but he's still too far away."

Emiko quickly raced ahead of the group, not listening to another word Pakkun said. She was going to prove her worth. She would go home to her family with her head held high and be able to say that she was not useless, that she could fight in a real shinobi battle.

Emiko and Naruto arrived at the battle between Sasuke and Gaara in time to see Sasuke collapse. Emiko ran over to Sasuke and held his head in her arms while Naruto kicked Gaara away from Sasuke.

"Sasu-chan, are you okay!?" Emiko began sniffling, seeing the curse mark on Sasuke's neck. "Sasu-chan!"

Sasuke groaned and looked at Emiko. "Stop…yelling…in…my…ear."

"Um, Sakura, who's that?" Naruto asked, pointing at Gaara.

Pakkun sighed. "Even though he looks different, that's still Gaara."

"He's the one that knocked Sasuke-kun down." Sakura added.

Emiko rocked back and forth, still cradling Sasuke's head in her arms. She smoothed his bangs back from his face. "You should've waited for us…"

Sasuke turned away from Emiko and began coughing up blood. Emiko began sobbing and wiping the blood off of Sasuke's chin. "Sasu-chan, hang on. We'll get you help."

Gaara leapt at Sasuke, screaming. Sakura steeled herself and stood up, holding a kunai in front of her, ready to defend Sasuke with her life. Sakura screamed as she was pushed into a nearby tree and held there by Gaara. Naruto grabbed Sasuke and jumped out of the way with Emiko close behind.

"Pinky-san!"

Naruto stood in front of Emiko and Sasuke. "Emiko-chan, don't get involved in this fight. Stay with Sasuke."

Gaara frowned and clutched his head. "What are these people to you?"

Naruto returned the frown. "They're my friends! You touch them again and I'll kill you!"

Gaara pressed Sakura into the tree even more, causing her to scream. "Aren't you going to come kill me?"

Naruto shook but kept a determined expression. He jumped at Gaara but was thrown back into the tree. He quickly stood up and began forming the hand seals for the summoning technique.

Emiko couldn't see what Naruto summoned. All she saw was Gaara transform again. She rubbed Sasuke's back soothingly, trying to keep calm as well. She looked at Pakkun and began standing up.

Sasuke weakly grabbed Emiko's ankle. He fixed her with as stern of a look as he could in his state. He sighed when she reluctantly sat down.

"I really am just a burden."

"Be patient." Pakkun said. "You're still just a child. Someday, you'll be just as strong as Naruto and the others. Until then, watch them and learn from their battles."

Emiko nodded her head and watched as Naruto continued to fight Gaara. She watched Naruto get knocked down and keep standing up. She watched Naruto go flying through the air after performing One Thousand Years of Death on Gaara.

Sasuke jumped up and caught Naruto. Emiko quickly followed after him and stood in front of Sasuke and Naruto, determined to protect the two of them.

"Emiko, stay back." Sasuke pushed Emiko behind him.

Naruto grinned at Emiko. "Right now, I'm going to protect you. When you're older, return the favor, okay?"

Emiko huffed but nodded. "I'm going to kick all of your asses when I get older."

Sasuke laughed weakly. "A lady doesn't use language like that."

Naruto's face suddenly became determined. A huge ball of chakra appeared around him, causing a fierce wind to blow. Sasuke held Emiko tightly to keep her from flying off.

"I swear I'll protect all of you!" Naruto cried. Numerous shadow clones appeared, surrounding Gaara. "Sasuke, leave the rest to me."

Emiko and Sasuke watched in awe as Naruto beat up Gaara. Emiko began shaking as Gaara transformed again.

"W-what is that?" Sasuke said to himself.

Emiko trembled and hugged Sasuke. "I'm scared, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke hugged her. He watched Naruto get enveloped by sand. "Naruto!"

Suddenly, Naruto appeared on the top of a giant toad's head. Emiko looked up and gasped. "Wow, Naru-chan can do the summoning technique!"

Sasuke held onto Emiko as tightly as he could while they were blown around by the giant creatures fighting. They watched as the giant toad turned into a giant fox. They couldn't see all that was happening but when the giant raccoon crumbled away, Emiko squealed.

"Naru-chan did it!"

Sasuke looked up in time to see the sand disappear around Sakura. He quickly jumped over to her and caught her. He placed her down on the tree branch. He looked at Pakkun. "Stay with her." Sasuke jumped away with Emiko close at his heels.

When Sasuke and Emiko reached Naruto and Gaara, Emiko went over to Gaara. She knelt beside him and pulled her red ribbon out of her hair. She gently wrapped it around his forehead and smiled warmly at him. "That will help absorb the bleeding."

Temari and Kankuro showed up beside Gaara and Emiko slowly back up, keeping the smile on her face. She went over to Sasuke and held his hand. The trio watched as Temari and Kankuro disappeared, carrying Gaara with them. Emiko knelt down beside Naruto and kissed his cheek.

"You were awesome, Naru-chan."

It had been two days since the fight and Emiko was standing beside Sasuke in the rain, her black dress clinging to her. She stood in silence and looked at the picture of the Hokage. She hung her head and allowed a few tears to fall. This man had allowed her to stay in his village and had even believed in her enough to allow her to join the exam.

"Sasu-chan, please don't ever leave me."

Sasuke knelt down and hugged Emiko tightly. "I won't leave you."

Emiko let Sasuke pick her up and sway her back and forth. He kissed the top of her head. Once the funeral was over, Sasuke carried Emiko back to the house. "Tomorrow, Naruto, Sakura, and I are going to take you to the amusement park. Does that sound like fun?"

Emiko grinned up at him and nodded. She let him carry her to the bedroom and tuck her in. She snuggled under the covers, and closed her eyes, excited about the next day.

**The next few chapters are going to be fillers so that Emiko can spend some more time with her new friends before she has to go back home. I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter and that you will leave your lovely reviews. **


	17. The Amusement Park and Festival

**Hello again everyone! We're going to be straying from the manga for the next couple of chapters just so Emiko can spend more time with her friends. I don't know if they have amusement parks in Naruto's world but if they have movie theaters and stuff, then they can now have an amusement park so nyah!**

**I got to hold the baby hamsters today! There's a little runt and she is so adorable! I get to keep her so I'm super excited. Also, I dyed my hair auburn and it looks awesome.**

"Emiko, wake up."

Emiko growled and rolled over onto her side. She didn't even open her eyes when she felt herself being lifted and carried. She let out a shriek of rage the minute her body connected with ice cold water. She opened her eyes and glared up at Sasuke. "That wasn't nice, Sasu-chan!"

Sasuke smirked. "Get up and get ready. We're going to the amusement park today."

Emiko's eyes lit up. She scrambled out of the tub and ran back into the bedroom, leaving a trail of water behind her. She threw her wet nightgown off and quickly put on her Akatsuki dress. She tied her hair up into pigtails and happily skipped out of the room.

Sasuke was wiping up the water from the floor. He got up and grabbed Emiko's hand, leading her to the door. "Sakura and Naruto are waiting for us at the bridge."

Emiko frowned and tugged on Sasuke's hand. "I want a piggy back ride."

Sasuke glared down at her. "There is no way I'm giving you a piggy back ride."

"Please, Sasu-chan. I promise I'll be good today if you do."

Sasuke sighed and knelt down so Emiko could hop onto his back. He straightened up and continued walking to the bridge. He rolled his eyes as they neared the bridge. He could hear Sakura's voice yelling at Naruto. He casually walked up to the two, Emiko still on his back. "Let's go."

Sakura frowned when she saw Emiko on Sasuke's back. "Emiko, you should get off of Sasuke-kun. You'll hurt his back."

Emiko rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Pinky-san. I'm not fat like you so it's fine."

Sakura let out a shriek of anger and Sasuke had to run all the way to the amusement park with Sakura trying to yank Emiko off of his back.

The amusement park was only and hour away from Konoha, just to the south. It had everything from roller coasters to carnival games. Emiko wriggled off of Sasuke's back while he bought her and his tickets. She looked around with wide, excited eyes, running into the park and getting in line for the very first roller coaster she saw. She grinned and waved Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto over.

"I wanna ride this one!"

Sasuke paled. The roller coaster had four seats in each row. It had no floor and many loops.

"Are you sure, Emiko? I don't want you to get scared."

Emiko and Naruto exchanged glances and smirked evilly. Naruto casually slung his arm over Sasuke's shoulder. "Don't tell me you're scared, Sasuke."

Sasuke glared at Naruto and shrugged his arm off. "I'm not scared. I just don't think Emiko is ready for this kind of ride. Besides, she's too short."

Sakura looked up from the ride's sign. "Yeah, you're too short, Emiko. They won't let you ride." Sakura smiled and slid over to Sasuke. "Emiko can wait down here for us while we ride the roller coaster. I'll sit by you, Sasuke-kun."

Emiko forced tears to fall from her eyes. She began stomping her foot on the ground furiously. "I want to ride!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "If you're too short, you can't ride. That's just how it is, Emiko. Now stop making a scene."

Emiko began screaming and crying louder. She fell on the ground and kicked at it. "I hate you, Sasu-chan! You're the worst person in the world! I don't love you anymore! I'm going to hate you forever!"

Sasuke was becoming embarrassed. People were beginning to stare and whisper. He sent all of them one of his famous death glares and they all ran away. He sighed and attempted to pick Emiko up which only ended with him getting a foot planted in his face. "Stop it, Emiko! We'll get in line but if they say you can't ride then that's it."

Emiko immediately stopped crying and grinned. "Thank you, Sasu-chan! I don't hate you anymore."

Naruto laughed. "Your family must have really spoiled you, Emiko-chan."

Emiko turned her grin to Naruto. "Yup, especially…" Emiko clapped a hand over her mouth.

Sasuke looked at her curiously. "What's wrong, Emiko?"

Emiko shook her head. "I can't tell you who my family is. If I do, I'll get taken away from them."

Sasuke decided not to press her further on the matter; at least not now. He had already just barely managed to defuse one temper tantrum, he didn't want another one to start.

The group got into the line and after waiting for forty-five minutes, they reached the front. The man operating the ride gave Emiko a dubious look. "Um, isn't she a little too small to ride this ride?"

Emiko took a deep breath, preparing to let out another ear piercing scream. Sasuke saw this and gave the man a death glare.

"You better let this kid ride or you're going to deal with her tantrum."

The man moved aside to allow the group to get on. Sasuke sat on the edge with Emiko sitting beside him. Naruto sat by Emiko and Sakura sat on the last seat. Emiko began swinging her legs excitedly. Sasuke glanced around nervously as the bars came down. He reached over and grabbed tightly onto Emiko's hand.

Emiko smiled reassuringly at Sasuke. "It's okay, Sasu-chan. I'm here."

The ride started. Naruto and Emiko waved their arms in the air while Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He concentrated on blocking out Sakura's screaming. As they went through the first loop, he felt Emiko slipping. Sasuke looked in horror as Emiko began sliding out of her harness.

"Naruto!"

Naruto grabbed Emiko's hand just as she slipped completely out of the harness. Naruto held one hand while Sasuke held the other. Emiko didn't seem to notice that she was now no longer seated. She continued laughing happily while Sasuke prayed for the ride to be over quickly.

Once it was over and the floor had come back up, Sasuke and Naruto gently placed Emiko on the ground. The harness came off and Sasuke ran away from the ride and went straight into the bathroom.

Emiko looked up at Naruto from the floor and grinned. "Let's do it again!"

Naruto chuckled nervously. "I don't think so, Emiko-chan." He picked her up and carried her over to the bathrooms, Sakura close behind.

Sasuke came out of the bathroom, wiping his mouth and looking pale. He glared at Naruto's laughing face. "Don't say anything, Dobe."

Naruto ignored the insult and started laughing harder. "I can't believe you threw up, Sasuke!"

Sasuke blushed and snatched Emiko away from Naruto. "Shut up! I just get motion sickness!"

Emiko tugged on Sasuke's bangs. "I want to play a game now, Sasu-chan!"

The group went over to a ball throwing game. There were bottles stacked into pyramids with three bottles in each pyramid. The man running the game grinned at the group. "If you can knock down the pyramid of glasses, you win a prize."

Sakura smiled at Sasuke. "I bet you can do it, Sasuke-kun."

Naruto started waving his arms around. "I can win too!"

Sasuke smirked and put Emiko down. "I doubt it, Dobe."

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "What did you say, Duck Butt?"

Sasuke returned the glare. The two boys continued glaring at each other. Finally both slapped money down onto the table. Sakura and Emiko watched as Naruto and Sasuke continued throwing balls at the bottles.

Emiko looked up at Sakura and smiled. "Do you want to go get some ice cream?"

Sakura smiled back. "Sure!"

Once the two girls returned with their ice cream cones, Sasuke and Naruto were standing by the booth, both with a huge pile of stuffed animals. The game man looked panicked, realizing he was going to run out of stuffed animals.

Emiko squealed and threw her ice cream away. "Wow, that's a lot of toys!"

Sasuke beckoned Emiko over. When she reached him, Sasuke handed her a teddy bear off the top of the pile. Not to be outdone, Naruto handed her a small kitten stuffed animal.

"You can have all of them!" Both boys cried in unison.

Emiko smiled and hugged both boys. "Thank you so much, Naru-chan, Sasu-chan!"

Naruto and Sasuke were forced to drag the huge pile of stuffed animals around for the rest of the day. Finally, the sun was beginning to set. The group left the amusement park with Sasuke having to drag all the stuffed animals home by himself. Emiko was happily skipping along beside him, holding both the teddy bear and kitten. They reached the house and Sasuke threw the toys into his room and collapsed on the bed.

Emiko hopped up onto the bed and sat on Sasuke's back. She played with his hair. "Are we going to the festival tomorrow?"

Sasuke groaned. "Do we have to?"

Emiko pouted and tugged Sasuke's hair. "Please? Pinky-san bought me a pretty kimono."

Sasuke sighed. "I guess."

Emiko squealed and hopped off of Sasuke. She laid down next to him. "Thank you, Sasu-chan!"

Sasuke didn't respond; he was sound asleep.

It was late in the afternoon when Sasuke finally awoke. He groggily sat up and looked around. Emiko was nowhere in sight. A light blue yukata was laying at the foot of the bed.

Emiko came into the room trying to put her hair into a bun. She wore a light green kimono with pink sakura blossoms dancing across the fabric. Her obi was a dark green. She smiled when she saw Sasuke was awake. "Hurry up, Sasu-chan. We're going to be late for the festival."

Sasuke shooed her out of the room and put the yukata on. He came out of the room and frowned when he saw Emiko giggling. "What's so funny?"

"You didn't notice what I put on the back, did you?"

Sasuke frowned and looked at his back in a mirror. On the back was an obviously hand sewn Uchiha fan. The fan's sides were uneven and there was some of the white thread was invading the red area. Sasuke felt a smile tug on his lips. He went back over to Emiko and picked her up. He kissed her nose and hugged her. "Thank you, Emiko."

Emiko beamed and hugged him back. Sasuke was very rarely affectionate and he never said thank you. For Emiko, this felt like the happiest day of her life. She looked up at Sasuke. "We need to go now!"

The two made their way hand-in-hand to the festival. They went from booth to booth, Emiko looking around like an excited puppy while Sasuke made sure to keep her close at all times.

They came to a small booth with little goldfish swimming around in a tank. The woman smiled warmly at the two. "Would you like a goldfish, little one?"

Emiko looked up at Sasuke hopefully. He handed her a small coin and Emiko handed it to the woman. The woman handed her a small plastic circle with a handle and paper covering it. She bent down onto her knees and tried to catch a fish with her paper fish catcher. She pouted as the paper ripped and the fish swam away. She looked sadly up at Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed and handed the woman another coin. He took one of the fish catchers and knelt beside Emiko. He waited patiently and then quickly caught one of the goldfish. He handed the catcher with the fish over to the woman.

Emiko hugged Sasuke tightly around the neck. "Thank you, Sasu-chan."

The woman handed Emiko the plastic bag with the fishing swimming around. "You're so nice to your little sister."

Sasuke picked Emiko up. "I'm not her brother."

"Oh." Was all the woman could say.

Sasuke walked off with Emiko in his arms. He had to hide a smile when he saw Emiko cooing to the goldfish. "What are you going to call it?"

Emiko frowned. "It's a she and her name is Toto. That was almost my name."

Sasuke couldn't help it. He let out a laugh. "Your family almost named you Toto!?"

Emiko pouted and pinched him. "It's not funny!"

"I never thought I'd see the day where an Uchiha laughed."

Sasuke turned around. "Shut your mouth, Dobe."

Naruto grinned. The rest of the Rookie Nine and Lee's team were behind him. Lee smiled brightly at Emiko.

"You look adorable tonight, Emiko-chan!"

Emiko smiled shyly and hid her face in Sasuke's neck. "Thank you."

"We should go find a spot to watch the fireworks." Ino said, pouting at how Sasuke was holding Emiko.

The entire group sat on a small hill, the teams sitting next to each other. Emiko was curled up in Sasuke's lap, looking up at the stars. She held Sasuke's hand and clutched her goldfish tightly to her.

"T-that's a c-cute f-fish, E-Emiko-san." Hinata stuttered. "W-where d-did you g-get it?"

Emiko smiled. "Sasu-chan won Toto-chan for me!"

Naruto laughed. "You named it Toto?"

Before Emiko could respond, the first of the fireworks went off. Emiko stared in awe at all the colors that filled the sky. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. The fireworks continued for a long time and Emiko felt herself drift off to sleep.

Sasuke felt Emiko go limp. He readjusted Emiko so that he was holding her tightly to his chest. He stroked her hair absentmindedly.

Neji smirked. "Where'd you get the yukata, Uchiha?"

Sasuke smirked back. "Emiko sewed it for me."

Kiba began laughing. "You sure are attached to that kid, Sasuke."

Sasuke shrugged. "She's a nice kid." He stood up carefully, making sure Emiko still had Toto in her hands. "Well, I better tuck her in."

Sasuke walked slowly back to his apartment. He looked down at Emiko and frowned. She looked so familiar to him but he couldn't place where he would have possibly seen her before. He took Emiko into the room and let her hair out of her messy bun. He tucked her in, taking Toto from her. He went into the kitchen and found a large vase to let the fish swim in. He made a note to take Emiko shopping to get food for the fish tomorrow.

He walked into the bedroom and changed into his pajamas. He crawled into the bed and kissed Emiko's forehead. "Sleep well, Emiko."

**Hooray! I'm all done with this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will leave me your awesome reviews. If any of you ever want to talk to me or give me any ideas, you can always private message me^^.**


	18. Baby Mine

**Squee! My friend just got back from Japan and brought me back some amazing stuff! This chapter was so much to plan and write. I hope all of you enjoy it. Just a quick note; italics mean that someone is singing.**

**I have some bad news for you guys. This Saturday, Sakura02 and I will be leaving for Disneyworld and will be gone until July 26****th****. Hopefully this chapter will satisfy all of you until then.**

"Sasu-chan, I wanna bake some cookies!"

Sasuke looked up from washing the breakfast dishes. He frowned. "Why?"

"My Mama and Papa used to always make cookies with me. Can we please make some cookies?"

Sasuke sighed. "Fine." Sasuke began pulling out bowels and spoons and all the ingredients they would need. He hid a smile as he saw Emiko bouncing around the kitchen excitedly. After he was done getting everything together on the counter, he motioned Emiko over.

Emiko pulled a chair over and began humming happily as her and Sasuke mixed all the ingredients together. Emiko stuck her finger into the bowl and grinned mischeviously. She wiped the cookie dough off on Sasuke's cheek.

Sasuke glared at Emiko. He rubbed the cookie dough off of his face and scooped some flour up out of the canister. He casually dumped the flour into Emiko's hair. Emiko blinked up at Sasuke. What happened next was an all out war. Flour, sugar, and cookie dough were thrown.

Thirty minutes later, Emiko was covered in cookie dough and flour while Sasuke was completely white with flour. Emiko began giggling and then completely lost it. She was rolling on the floor, laughing uncontrollably.

Sasuke chuckled and then joined Emiko in her laughter. "Let's get you into a bath, Emiko. You're filthy."

"You have to catch me first." Emiko started running around the rooms, leaving a trail of flour behind her.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Not again." He quickly cornered Emiko in the bedroom and scooped her up into his arms. He carried the struggling Emiko into the bathroom and sat her down on the ground. He gave her a stern look. "Do not run away."

Emiko waited patiently for Sasuke to draw the water. "I want a bubble bath!"

"Whatever you say, Munchkin." Sasuke put the bubble bath in the water. He helped Emiko out of her dress and then threw her in the water. He smirked at her pouting face. "I'm going to go take a shower. Hurry up and take your bath."

Emiko's smile faded as Sasuke left. She splashed around in the bubbles, drawing small patterns. She had almost forgotten about her family until today. She was having so much fun in Konoha with all her new friends, that she had forgotten why she had come to Konoha in the first place. Now that the chunin exams were over, she should return to her family. The more she thought about it though, the less appealing that sounded. Hidan had made it clear that if she was useless, Pein would kill her. She wondered if she had become strong enough that Pein wouldn't kill her. Emiko submerged herself in the water and held her breath, thinking. She was startled when she felt arms pull her out of the water.

"What were you doing?"

Emiko blinked water out of her eyes and looked up at Sasuke. She smiled sadly up at him. "I was thinking about my family. I don't know if I want to go back anymore. Does that make me a bad person, Sasu-chan?"

Sasuke blinked before smiling at Emiko. "No, of course not. Let's get you dried off now."

Emiko smiled as Sasuke began drying her off. She could hear rain hitting the windows and a smirk graced her face. She began singing quietly. "_Little town, it's a quiet village._"

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror. He realized that Emiko had her back to the door and he was closer to the bathtub. "Emiko, don't you dare."

Emiko slowly backed away from Sasuke, continuing to sing. "_Every day, like the one before. Little town, full of little people, waking up to say…_" Emiko turned around and ran for the front door. She quickly opened it up and ran out into the rain, stark naked.

Sasuke groaned and began chasing after her. "Get back here! Why do you always have to do this?!"

Emiko laughed and continued sprinting through the village, singing at the top of her lungs. "_There goes the baker with his tray like always. The same old bread and rolls to sell."_

Iruka looked up from teaching his students in time to see Emiko streak by the window. He sighed as he saw a furious Sasuke close behind her. The first time he had seen that scene, he had been completely flabbergasted. Now, it was such a common sight it didn't bother him anymore."

"_Every morning just the same, since the morning that we came, to this poor provincial town."_

Asuma, Kurenai, Kakashi, and Gai were all having breakfast together and talking about their students when Emiko and Sasuke ran by them.

"You're going to get sick, Emiko-chan!" Kurenai yelled.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "I bet he'll catch her before they get to the Hokage mountain."

Asuma laughed. "No way. He'll catch her before they pass the lake."

"Ah, Emiko-chan is so full of youth!" Gai said happily.

Sasuke growled furiously. Every single time Emiko had a bath, she ran out into Konoha completely naked. He sped up and almost grabbed Emiko's hair but she sensed him. She quickly leapt up onto the roofs of Konoha and sprinted along.

Naruto looked out his window just as Emiko jumped by. He smiled and yelled after her. "Go Emiko-chan!"

Emiko turned around and grinned at Naruto. The rain was freezing cold against her skin but she didn't care. She was having fun annoying Sasuke. She felt that she had put enough distance between her and Sasuke and she stopped on the dock on the lake. She sat down and looked at the water.

"I'm going to kick your ass, Emiko!"

Emiko was startled by the loud voice behind her and she fell into the lake. She surfaced a few minutes later and glared up at the furious Uchiha. "That wasn't nice, Sasu-chan!"

Before Sasuke could retort, a bolt of lightning pierced the sky. "Just hurry up and get out of the water." He continued glaring at Emiko as she swam out of the water. He took his shirt off and put it on Emiko. "You're in so much trouble when we get back to the house."

Emiko pouted but didn't say anything. Her throat was beginning to feel sore and she had a headache. "I don't feel good, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke looked down at her and frowned. Her cheeks had taken on a red tinge and he wasn't sure if it was just from her running around so much or if she was actually sick. "We're almost home."

Emiko closed her eyes and snuggled closer to Sasuke. She was feeling extremely hot and his skin was cool. "I want to stay with you, Sasu-chan. I don't want to go back to Mama and Papa."

Sasuke smiled down at her. "Okay." They had finally reached the house and Sasuke opened the door. He took Emiko back into the bathroom. He took his shirt off of her and dried Emiko off and put her into a clean nightgown. He frowned when he saw how dazed Emiko looked. He placed his hand on her forehead and his frown deepened; she was burning up.

Emiko blinked slowly up at Sasuke. "I wanna go to bed."

Sasuke carried Emiko into the bedroom and tucked her in. He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "That's why you shouldn't run in the rain, Idiot."

Emiko coughed. "I'm cold."

"Hang on, I'll be right back." Sasuke left and came back a few moments later with more blankets. He put them on top of Emiko. "Try and get some sleep."

Emiko shook her head. "Sing."

Sasuke almost told her no but then he saw her sad face. He sighed and sat on the bed beside her. "What do you want me to sing?"

"Anything."

Sasuke hesitated before beginning to sing softly. As he sang, he stroked Emiko's hair affectionately. "_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."_

Emiko smiled happily and her eyes slowly drifted shut. "I love you, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke leaned forward and kissed Emiko's forehead. "I love you too, Emiko."

Emiko groaned as she slowly woke up. Her throat still hurt but her headache was gone. She felt hot though and quickly kicked the covers off. "Sasu-chan?" She croaked out.

Sasuke ran into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit."

Sasuke laughed. "I'll make you some toast. What do you want to drink?"

"Just water, please."

Sasuke disappeared and then reappeared fifteen minutes later with a tray. On the tray was a plate of toast and a large glass of water. He placed on Emiko's lap. "Eat and then I'll give you some medicine."

Emiko nibbled lightly at the toast and gulped down the water. "Can I have some medicine now?"

A loud knock was heard at the door and Sasuke frowned. "Hang on."

Emiko continued eating her toast when Naruto bounded happily into the room. She smiled brightly. "Naru-chan!"

"How are you feeling, Emiko-chan?"

"Horrible."

Sasuke came back into the room. "Stay with her while I get her some medicine."

Naruto grinned at Emiko. "So, Sasuke said you wanted to stay with us."

"Yup."

Naruto hugged her tightly. "That's so awesome! You'll be a great Konoha ninja."

"I know."

Sasuke came back into the room to find Naruto and Emiko playing 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'. He went over to Emiko and handed her a small cup with medicine. "Drink this."

Emiko frowned and reluctantly gulped the bitter liquid down her throat. She stuck her tongue out. "That taste nasty."

Sasuke attempted to tuck Emiko back in and frowned when she kicked the covers off. "What's wrong?"

"It's too hot."

"I'll go get you a fan."

Naruto smiled warmly at Emiko. "I'm going to leave now. We'll go get ramen once you feel better, okay?" He patted Emiko on the head affectionately and left the room.

Sasuke returned with a fan a few minutes later. He plugged it in and set the fan on high. He removed all the heavy blankets, leaving only the cotton sheets. "Try and get some more sleep."

Emiko curled up and looked sleepily up at Sasuke. "Will you sing to me again?"

Sasuke frowned. "Again?"

"It reminds me of when…of when someone special to me sang to me." Emiko felt tears fill her eyes as she remembered Itachi. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she began sniffling.

Sasuke sighed, racking his mind for another lullaby. _"Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes. Rest your head close to my heart. Never to part, baby of mine. Little one when you play, don't you mind what you say. Let those eyes sparkle and shine,  
never a tear, baby of mine. If they knew sweet little you, they'd end up loving you too.  
All those same people who scold you, what they'd give just for, the chance to hold you.  
From your head to your toes, your not much, goodness knows. But your so precious to me, cute as can be, baby of mine."_

He smiled when he saw Emiko was sound asleep. He kissed her forehead and left the room, turning the light off behind him.

**I'm sorry this was so late guys! I hope you enjoyed Sasuke singing lullabies . The song Emiko was singing was Belle's song from the beginning of Beauty and the Beast. Next chapter will start following the manga again. Will Emiko stay with Sasuke? Or, will her family take her home? You'll have to wait until the 28****th**** to find out!**


	19. Goodbye to You

**Wahh!! I miss Disneyworld already! Expedition Everest is the best ride ever!! I'm sorry this update is so late guys. I'm trying to get back into the flow of things so please hang in there! The two winners of the poll were Inuyasha and Host Club so look for those two stories this weekend. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and thank you for being so patient!**

"So, you're taking the Kyubi child and the little Rain ninja?"

Jiraiya looked at the two council members. "Of course. I owe Seika-chan's mother a favor so taking care of her kid for a few weeks can help pay some of my debt off. Besides, she may help convince Tsunade to become the Hokage."

"You really think that child is Haruki's?"

"Of course she is. I'd recognize those eyes anywhere."

The councilwoman snorted. "Well, good luck getting her away from that Uchiha boy."

Jiraiya laughed. "Don't worry about that."

Sasuke was idly lounging on his couch. "What are you doing in there?"

Emiko poked her head out of the kitchen and gave Sasuke a stern look. "Don't you dare peek! It's a surprise!" A few minutes later, Emiko emerged from the kitchen, holding something behind her back. "Close your eyes."

Sasuke rolled his eyes but obeyed. "Can I open them?"

"Yes!"

Sasuke opened his eyes and blinked. "What the hell is that?"

Emiko pouted. "They're Apple Bunnies. Pinky-san and Blondie-san showed me how to make them. You don't like them?"

On the plate were apple slices with the skin peeled away from the apple a the back and then cut down the middle until it reached the skin still attached to the apple, giving the illusion of long ears.

Sasuke sighed and took the plate from Emiko. "No, they're fine." He picked one of the apple bunnies up and gave it a curious look. "I'm supposed to eat it, right?"

Emiko giggled. "Of course you are. What else would you do with them?"

Sasuke ate the last of the apple bunnies and stood up. "Come on. I've got to meet Kakashi-sensei."

Emiko skipped happily alongside Sasuke. Once they reached the sweet shop, Emiko blinked. She felt two very familiar chakras in the store. She ran ahead of Sasuke and peeked into the store. There was no one there.

Kakashi smiled down at her. "Emiko-chan, there's someone who wants to meet you. Go to the Ichiraku stand. You may want to say goodbye to Sasuke."

Emiko slowly nodded her head. She waited for Sasuke to catch up. She hugged him tightly around the waist. "I'll see you later, Sasu-chan."

"Where are you going?"

"Pervy-san says that I'm supposed to meet someone at Ichiraku. I'll see you later tonight." Emiko began running down the street before turning around. "Don't forget it's your turn to cook dinner!" Emiko made her way to Ichiraku and looked around. The only person she saw was an old man and Naruto.

"What are you doing here, Emiko-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Pervy-san said I'm supposed to meet someone here."

Jiraiya grinned. "That would be me. I'm the legendary sannin, Jiraiya and I would like for you to accompany Naruto and myself on a little mission."

"I can't do that! I told Sasu-chan I'd be back home tonight."

Jiraiya knelt down to Emiko's level. He leaned in and whispered so only she could hear. "If you come, I'll tell you about your real family, Seika."

Emiko's eyes widened. "Really!?"

Jiraiya smiled and nodded. "I promise."

Emiko hesitated. "Well…okay." She was sure Sasuke would understand.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

"So, what do you know about my family, Jichan?"

Jiraiya frowned at the familiar nickname. "Well, your mother used to call me that all the time. Her name was Haruki and she was one of the kindest people I'd ever known."

Emiko frowned and kicked at the ground in front of her. "It's not very kind to leave a baby alone."

Naruto looked down at Emiko's sad face. He took her hand and gave her a bright smile, trying to cheer her up.

Jiraiya sighed. "Your mother would never willingly have abandoned you. There was someone after you; someone that wanted you dead, Emiko. Your mother abandoned you to protect you from that man."

Emiko's eyes widened. "Why would someone want me dead?"

"That's…complicated. Once we find the woman I'm looking for, she'll be able to explain it to you better. Be patient until then."

The next few days were passed in relative silence. The three finally reached a small town and began searching for an inn.

"Hey, Naruto, Emiko, we're going to stay here tonight!"

Just as Jiraiya had checked them into a room, a pretty young woman walked by. Emiko gave Jiraiya and Naruto curious looks as they both began drooling. "Are you two okay?"

"Naruto, take Emiko up to the room! You need to train on focusing your chakra and I'm sure Emiko is exhausted."

Emiko blinked. "No I'm not."

Naruto growled. "You're just trying to get rid of me, you stupid pervert!"

"Both of you go to the room now!"

Emiko and Naruto reluctantly made their way up the stairs, both with sour expressions. Once they got into the room, Naruto sat on the bed and tried to focus on his chakra control while Emiko began coloring. It was long before there was a loud and furious banging on the door.

"Naru-chan, answer the door."

"Why can't you!?"

Emiko gave Naruto a superior look. "I'm not supposed to open the door. It could be a stranger and I could get kidnapped."

Naruto rolled his eyes and opened the door. He was frozen in place when he saw the two men standing at the door.

The blue skinned man laughed. "I never thought the Kyubi would be inside a kid."

Emiko's head shot up when she heard the voice. She slowly got up and walked over to stand beside Naruto. Her eyes brightened. "'Tachi! 'Same!"

Itachi didn't even blink when he felt Emiko attach herself to his legs. "So this is where you ran off to, Emiko."

Naruto looked at Emiko and then back to Itachi. "T-these guys are your family!?"

Emiko frowned and looked up at Itachi when she felt her hug not being returned. "What's wrong, 'Tachi?"

"Emiko, you need to stay out of the way right now. Kisame and I are here to take Naruto-kun back with us."

Emiko frowned and backed away from Itachi, going back to stand beside Naruto. She had never heard his voice so cold before, especially not directed at her. "Why?"

Itachi frowned. "Emiko, Naruto-kun, please step out of the room."

Naruto gulped. He could feel the danger radiating from the two criminals. He grabbed Emiko's hand and led her out of the room, keeping her behind him.

Kisame frowned. "Should I cut off one of his legs to keep him from running off, Itachi-san?"

Emiko's eyes widened. "You can't hurt Naru-chan!"

"Emiko, don't interfere."

Again, the cold, indifferent tone of Itachi's filled Emiko's ears. She felt tears forming behind her eyes. "Leave Naru-chan alone!" Her voice was shaky, hardly threatening.

Itachi said nothing for a moment. "It's been awhile, Sasuke."

Sasuke's sharingan was activated, his glare sent straight at Itachi. "I'm going to kill you, Uchiha Itachi!"

Emiko's eyes darted between the two brothers. What Orochimaru had said to her was true; Sasuke and Itachi were brothers. "Sasu-chan…"

Sasuke looked over at where Emiko stood trembling beside Naruto. "Stay out of the way, Emiko. I'm going to kill this bastard where he stands."

Emiko and Naruto were paralyzed as they watched Sasuke charge at Itachi with a Chidori. Emiko felt her tears fall as she watched Itachi stop Sasuke's attack like it was nothing and break his wrist. "Stop it, 'Tachi! Leave Sasu-chan alone!" She ran over and knelt beside Sasuke. "Are you okay, Sasu-chan?"

"Well, I guess I'll just chop off this brat's legs now."

Emiko watched in horror as Kisame swung his sword down at Naruto. She was surprised when a giant toad appeared in front of Naruto.

"Ha, I'll never be seduced by a woman! I'm the one that does the seducing!" Jiraiya had reappeared behind Naruto, the woman from earlier slung over his shoulder. Everyone remained silent.

"This is no time to joke around, Jichan!" Emiko growled.

Jiraiya became serious. "I'm going to have to take care of the two of you."

"Don't interfere."

Emiko blinked as Sasuke shakily stood up. "Sasu-chan…"

"I'm…going to…kill him with…my own hands."

Itachi remained unfazed. "I have no interest in you right now. We will be taking Naruto-kun and Emiko back with us."

Sasuke growled. "Don't you lay a hand on her, bastard."

Itachi's leg shot out without warning, sending Sasuke flying into the opposite wall.

"Sasuke!" Naruto made a move to go and help Sasuke.

"I said don't interfere, Naruto! You focus on keeping them away from yourself and Emiko! This is a battle between that bastard and me!"

Itachi frowned and punched Sasuke in the stomach. Emiko began sobbing hysterically as Itachi continued to pummel Sasuke. She was so confused, no knowing what side to take, who to help. She began hiccupping and screaming when she heard Sasuke's scream of pain. "Stop it!"

The walls of the inn suddenly changed. Emiko wasn't sure what was going on. All she knew was that her feet led her to where Sasuke and Itachi were. She pushed past Itachi and grabbed onto Sasuke's pant leg. She tugged on it helplessly. "Sasu-chan, are you okay?"

Itachi swiftly picked Emiko up and looked over his shoulder. "Time to go, Kisame."

Emiko screamed as Itachi carried her away. "Let me go! I want to stay with Sasu-chan! Let me go!" She looked at the fading form of Sasuke. "I'll always love you, Sasu-chan!"

Itachi ignored her cries even though they were tearing at his heart. "Be quiet." He placed his hand over her eyes, putting her under a sleeping jutsu.

Konan gasped when she saw Itachi walk in, carrying a sleeping Emiko in his arms. "Where'd you find her!?" She ran over and took Emiko from Itachi, frowning when she saw the tear stains on Emiko's cheeks.

"She was with the Kyubi and my brother."

The room fell silent. The moment was broken when they heard a small groan come from Emiko.

Emiko slowly opened her eyes. Her sleepy onyx ones connected with Konan's sad blue ones. "Mama?"

Konan cried and hugged Emiko tightly. "It's okay, sweetie. Mama's here. I'm not going to let anyone take you away again."

Emiko looked around the room. Her entire family was there and all of them had relieved looks on their faces, including Hidan. She frowned when her eyes fell on Itachi. She wriggled away from Konan and ran over to Itachi. She hit him furiously in the leg. "Why'd you hurt Sasu-chan!? Why!?"

Itachi knelt down and grabbed Emiko's small hands, giving her a firm look. "He attacked me, Emiko. Did you want me to get hurt?"

Emiko felt the tears coming back. "No. But you didn't have to beat him up so badly!"

"I did what needed to be done."

Emiko said the first words that came to her mind. "I hate you!" She ran out of the room and down the hallway towards her room. She found it easily enough and flung herself on her bed. She lay down, her face buried in her pillow as she sobbed. She hadn't really meant what she said. She was so angry and confused.

Itachi walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "Emiko, look at me."

Emiko did as she was told. "What?"

"You have to understand that I did what I did for a reason. Can you forgive me?"

Emiko looked down and fiddled with her dress. "My chest hurts, 'Tachi."

Itachi became alarmed. "Do you need your medicine?"

"No, it's a different hurt. When I was in the Forest of Death, Bad Hebi asked me who I would choose between you and Sasu-chan. When I think about it, I don't know and my chest hurts. I don't want to choose between the two of you."

Itachi pulled Emiko to his lap and rocked her back and forth. "Forget what he said. Soon, you won't have to worry about making that decision."

**Yay, I finished chapter 19!! Chapter 20 will start the Shippuden half and Emiko will be seven years old. I'm so sorry this is so late guys. I hope you can forgive me! Please leave your amazing reviews!!**


	20. Lucky Number Seven

**Yay, we've finally reached chapter 20!! It seems like only yesterday that Itachi found Emiko in the grass. Now, we're at the beginning of the Shippuden saga. I'm so happy that so many people enjoy this story and I hope it will continue to entertain all of you.**

"Chibi-chan, where are you, un?" Deidara sighed as he looked around the forest, finding no traces of the elusive child. "Danna's getting really impatient, un."

"Danna is always impatient."

Deidara chuckled and looked up at the tree he was standing by. "Come down, un. Danna and I have to go on our mission and you need to wait in the cave."

Emiko pouted but did as she was told. She was now taller and had lost most of her baby fat. Her hair was cut just above her shoulders. She still wore her Akatsuki sundress. "What's your mission?"

"Is that really any of your business?" Sasori had walked over to the two. He was inside his puppet, Hiruko.

Emiko frowned. "Who are you going to hurt this time?"

Sasori growled. "That's none of your business. Now, get inside the cave."

Emiko reluctantly did as she was told. She frowned as the giant boulder was shut behind her, trapping her in the dark cave. Ever since she had been brought back from Konoha, she had become very defiant, not approving of her family's organization. She sat on the ground and pulled a picture out of her pocket.

The picture was of her and Sasuke at the festival. Sasuke was holding her in his arms while she smiled brightly, holding the goldfish he had won for her up proudly for the camera to see. Though he wasn't smiling, Emiko could see a glimmer of happiness in Sasuke's onyx orbs. Emiko sniffled and brought her knees up to her chest. "I hope you're okay, Sasu-chan."

"I thought I told you to get rid of that thing."

Emiko quickly stood up, pulling a kunai out in front of her for defense. "Don't scare me like that, Papa."

The shadow of Pein glared disapprovingly at Emiko. "I told you to get rid of that thing. You are to forget you ever met those people."

Emiko clutched the picture tightly to her chest. "Why?"

"They taught you weakness. Loving and caring for others is a form of weakness that does not exist in this organization."

Emiko looked down forlornly at the ground. "Then what Orochimaru said was right."

Before Pein could ask her what she meant, the boulder was moved. "You two are late."

Emiko turned around and gasped. In the tail of one of Deidara's creations, was Gaara. She watched as the bird disappeared, placing Gaara on the ground. She quickly ran over and knelt beside Gaara, taking in his battered appearance. She felt tears fill her eyes when she saw that tied around the strap that held Gaara's gourd to his back, was the red ribbon she had given him nearly three years ago. She placed a hand on each of his cheeks and touched her forehead to his. She allowed her tears to fall freely. "I'm so sorry, Gaara-san."

Deidara looked down sadly at Emiko. He hated seeing her cry. He gently pried her away from Gaara and walked outside with her. He placed her on the water. "You have to stay out here, un."

As soon as Deidara let her go, Emiko tried to run back into the cave but it was too late. Deidara was already back in and Pein had sealed the cave shut. Emiko pounded her small fist on the boulder. "Leave Gaara-san alone!"

For three days, Emiko hit, kicked, and attacked the boulder that separated her from Gaara. She screamed until her voice was hoarse. She didn't eat and barely drank any water. It was on the third day that she finally collapsed on her knees, crying.

"Is that you, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko spun around. "Ah!"

Gai and his team stood behind her. Gai grinned at Emiko. "I knew it was you, Emiko-chan! What are you doing in a place like this?"

Emiko stood up, tears still streaming down her face. "Are you here to rescue Gaara-san?"

Lee smiled brightly at Emiko, giving her a thumbs up. "Of course we are!" He blinked curiously at Emiko. "So, is it true that Akatsuki kidnapped you?"

Emiko's surprise showed on her face. "Who told you that?"

"It's what Jiraiya told Gai-sensei."

Emiko shuffled her feet nervously. "Well, I guess you could put it that way."

"Stand back, Emiko-chan!" Lee shouted. "I'm going to break down this boulder!"

Emiko rolled her eyes. "You can't do that, Lee-san. There's a barrier around the boulder. I've been trying to get in for three days."

"You can't get in because it's a five-seal barrier."

Team Gai and Emiko looked up in surprise. Emiko's eyes immediately saddened. "Naru-chan."

Naruto looked at Emiko with shock and hurt. "What are you doing here? You're family didn't let you stay to watch how they work?"

New tears fell from Emiko's eyes. "I'm so sorry, Naru-chan. I didn't know!"

Naruto's eyes softened. He had missed Emiko, no matter how much he tried to hate her and blame her for what happened. He thought she had known all along what was going on, what they were doing. He kneeled down on the water and held his arms open to her. "It's okay."

Emiko let out a sob and ran into Naruto's arms. She hugged him tightly around the neck and rubbed her cheek against his. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I wanted to stay with you! I wanted to stay with Sasu-chan! I didn't want any of you to get hurt! I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

Naruto slowly stood up, cradling Emiko in his arms. He let out a small laugh. "You're a lot heavier now, Emiko-chan. I can't just hold you in one arm anymore."

Emiko smiled and wiped her tears away. "I'm not four anymore. I'm seven now." She looked around curiously. "Where's Sasu-chan?"

Naruto's eyes saddened and he held Emiko tighter. "We'll tell you later."

"Right now we need to focus on save the Kazekage." Kakashi said.

Sakura came and stood beside Naruto. "You look much more grown-up, Emiko."

"Thank you, Sakura-san."

Sakura laughed. "No more silly nicknames?"

Emiko stuck her nose up in the air. "I'm a lady now and lady's don't have time to play such silly games like making up nicknames."

Kakashi chuckled and then gave Emiko a serious look. "Do you know where the seals are, Emiko?"

Emiko frowned and shook her head. "Papa never tells me anything."

Kakashi sighed and looked over at Neji.

Neji activated his Byakugan and began searching for the tags.

Emiko looked over to the side and noticed the old woman looking at her. She wriggled out of Naruto's grasp and walked over to the woman. She tilted her head to the side. "Who are you?"

"I'm Chiyo, an advisor for Suna. So, you are the young girl that Akatsuki raised."

Emiko frowned. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

Chiyo chuckled. "Not at all. I was merely wondering if you knew Sasori."

"You mean Danna? Of course I know him. He used to always tuck me in and tell me bedtime stories with little puppets."

Chiyo hid a smile. "I see."

"How do you know Danna, Chiyo-baasan?"

Chiyo knelt down and motioned for Emiko to come closer. She whispered quietly in her ear. "I'm his grandmother."

Before Emiko could say anything, Naruto grabbed her hand and dragged her over to one side of the boulder. "We need to get in our positions now, Emiko-chan. You're gonna help us save Gaara, right?"

Emiko gave Naruto a determined look. "Yes." Emiko watched in awe as Sakura smashed the boulder apart with her fist. Emiko squeaked indignantly as Naruto dragged her into the cave.

"So, which one of you is the Jinchuuriki?" Deidara's smirk was wiped off his face when he saw Emiko. "What are you doing, Chibi-chan, un?"

Emiko put on her best glare. "You shouldn't be doing this, Deidei. It isn't right to kill other people for your own personal gain."

Sasori was becoming irritated. "You're going to be in trouble with the leader if you don't get over here right now."

Naruto moved protectively in front of Emiko, his eyes never leaving Gaara's lifeless body. "I'll kill you, you bastards!" He continued staring at Gaara. "Get up, Gaara! Why are you just letting that bastard sit on you!?"

Emiko grabbed Naruto's hand, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Naru-chan, stop it."

Deidara laughed. "You should listen to Chibi-chan, un. He's dead."

Naruto yanked his hand from Emiko and leapt at Sasori and Deidara. "Give him back!"

Kakashi quickly jumped in front of Naruto, preventing him from going any further. "Calm down, Naruto."

Emiko rolled her eyes as she listened to Deidara and Sasori begin to argue. "If they aren't fighting about art, they're fighting about something else." Emiko explained when she saw Sakura's curious look. She watched as Deidara's creation swallowed Gaara in it's mouth, leading Naruto out of the cave. She hesitated, looking between Sakura and Naruto, not sure whether to stay or go.

Naruto looked back at her. "It's safer for you here, Emiko-chan. Wait here and once I come back, we'll go find Sasuke together."

Emiko blinked and looked at Sakura. "What's he mean 'find Sasuke'. Where's Sasu-chan?"

Sakura looked away. "I'll explain later. Right now, we should focus on what's going on here."

Emiko watched as Kakashi chased after Naruto. She looked back over at Sasori and winced, looking away guiltily.

"So, what are you going to do, Emiko." Sasori asked.

Emiko bit her lip. She didn't know if she should help Sasori, her family, or Sakura and the others.

"Sakura, Emiko stay back." Chiyo said. She gave Sasori a stern look. "How can you possibly ask a child to do what the Akatsuki does?"

"You don't know anything." Sasori growled.

Sakura smiled reassuringly down at Emiko. "Don't worry, Emiko-chan. We'll protect you."

Emiko continued to stare out the ground, biting her lip. That was the problem; did she want them to take her away from her family? She had to decide now who was more important to her; her family in the Akatsuki or the family she had found in Konoha.

**I wonder who Emiko-chan is going to pick? You'll find out soon…or will you? Yeah, I'm really tired now so leave your awesome reviews and let me know what you thought!**


	21. I Love You, Danna

**I'm so sorry I didn't update at all this weekend! I had some major decisions to make and they required all my attention. Everything's fine now and the stories that didn't get updated this weekend will be updated throughout the week.**

_A three year old Emiko ran down the hallways of the Akatsuki lair, sobbing. She barely registered being picked up and carried into someone's room._

_"Why are you crying, Emiko?"_

_Emiko sniffled. "'Tachi left on a mission. Now I'm all alone."_

_Sasori frowned. "What about the rest of us?"_

_Emiko pouted. "None of you like to play with me."_

_Sasori sighed. "Let me finish my work and then you and I can go play outside."_

_"Thank you, Danna!" Emiko hugged Sasori tightly around the neck. She smiled as she watched Sasori finish working on a puppet. "What are we gonna do, Danna?"_

_Sasori hid a smile. "How about Tag?"_

_Emiko squealed. Tag was her favorite game. "Really?"_

_Sasori put his tools down and picked Emiko up. "Really." He carried her outside and placed her on the ground. He tapped her nose. "You're it."_

_Emiko laughed happily as she and Sasori played through the afternoon and after the sun had set. Emiko finally stopped running around and yawned sleepily up at Sasori. "It's night night time, Danna."_

_Sasori smiled and scooped Emiko up, cradling her close to his chest. "Let's go get you ready for bed." He helped Emiko brush her teeth and change into her nightgown. He began pulling the covers back on her bed but stopped when he felt Emiko tug on his arm. "What's wrong, Emiko?"_

_Emiko rubbed her eye sleepily, holding I-chan in her other hand. "I want to sleep with you tonight, Danna."_

_Sasori was about to tell her no, but he hesitated. He let out a reluctant sigh and picked her up, carrying her back to his room. He pulled the sheets back on the bed he never slept in. Gently, he tucked Emiko in. He straightened up to go work on his puppet, but he was once again stopped by a small hand on his arm. He sighed and looked down sternly at Emiko. "You need to go to sleep, Emiko."_

_Emiko pouted sleepily up at Sasori. "I want you to go to sleep too."_

_"I don't need to sleep."_

_"Stay with me. I get scared by myself."_

_Sasori sighed and reluctantly stretched himself out on top of the covers, smoothing Emiko's hair down. "Better?"_

_Emiko smiled. "Yes." She sighed in content as she felt her eyes drift shut. "I love you, Danna."_

_Sasori smiled this time. "I know."_

_­­__"What are you doing out here by yourself, Emiko?"_

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

_Emiko reluctantly turned to the voice. "Go away. I'm mad at all of you."_

_Sasori sighed. Itachi and Kisame had brought Emiko back with them from their mission to capture the Kyubi. Ever since then, Emiko had been very cranky. "Why are you mad at all of us?" He now stood beside the boulder Emiko was sitting on._

_Emiko refused to look at him. "Because you hurt people."_

_Sasori refrained from rolling his eyes. "It comes with the job of being a ninja."_

_"You want to hurt Naru-chan."_

_"Emiko, look at me." Sasori used his sternest voice possible._

_Emiko pouted and reluctantly looked at him. "What?"_

_Sasori looked around, making sure none of the other members were around. He pulled Emiko off of her rock and hugged her tightly to him. "Please don't hate us. What we do is no different from what other ninja do. It hurts you more right now because you know someone involved. In time, you'll understand why we do what we do. Just please don't hate us. You are the only source of light we have in this dark world."_

_Emiko felt tears filling her eyes. Ever since she had returned, she felt torn between the two places she felt were her home. She didn't know where she belonged anymore. "I'm sorry. I don't hate any of you. I'm sorry, Danna." She kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly. "I love you, Danna"_

_Sasori smiled and hugged her back tightly. "I know."_

_

* * *

__"Danna, I found those plants you were looking for!" Emiko, now six, was running excitedly through the hallways, clutching a bundle of green leaves to her chest._

_Sasori poked his head out of his room. "You didn't let any get in your mouth, did you?"_

_Emiko stopped in front of Sasori, breathless. "Of course not. Danna told me not to put the plants anywhere near my mouth so I didn't."_

_Sasori ruffled her hair and took the plants from Emiko. "That's my girl."_

_Emiko followed Sasori into his room. "What are you working on, Danna?"_

_"I'm upgrading one of my puppets." Sasori didn't even look up from his work. "Would you like to watch?"_

_Emiko was surprised. Sasori never let anyone watch him work. "Of course, Danna!" She down beside him, happy to just have him willingly spend time with her. "Can you teach me how to control puppets, Danna?"_

_Sasori chuckled. "Being a Puppet Master requires much skill and patience. While your very skilled, Emiko, I don't think you have the patience."_

_Emiko felt her cheeks reddened. Sasori never complimented her. "Yeah, you're right."_

_The two sat in silence for a few hours, Emiko watching intently as Sasori worked. Emiko felt her stomach growling but she didn't want to lose this chance to spend time with her Danna. Sasori finally laughed quietly._

_"Go join the others for dinner. Once your done, you can come watch some more."_

_Emiko pouted and reluctantly left the room. She came back fifteen minutes later and plopped herself back down beside Sasori. She leaned against his side and smiled when he didn't push her away. _

_Sasori glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He smiled softly. "Would you like to put the poison in, Emiko?"_

_Emiko blinked, shocked. "Can I?"_

_Sasori smirked. "I just asked if you wanted to."_

_Emiko beamed. "Of course!" She sat herself in his lap and let him show her how to put the poison into the puppet. She slowly poured the purple liquid in, be careful not to spill a single drop. When she was done, she grinned proudly up at Sasori. "I did it, Danna!"_

_Sasori ruffled her hair. "Good work." He put her back at his side and smiled when she snuggled against him again. He looked down and saw Emiko's eyes drooping shut. "Go to sleep, Emiko."_

_Emiko nodded her head and closed her eyes. "I love you, Danna."_

_"I know."_

* * *

Emiko stood motionless, as the battle between the two Puppet Masters continued. She willed her body to move, to help, but it was useless. Tears streamed down her face as she watched Sasori stab Sakura. "Please stop…" Her voice was barely a whisper.

She watched as Chiyo gave Sakura the last antidote. Sakura pulled the sword out of her stomach and pushed Sasori back. "Please stop…" Her voice was slightly stronger.

Sasori lunged at Sakura. "Please stop!" Emiko screamed.

Sasori did stop, but not because of Emiko's scream. He had been stabbed through the heart by two swords. He was shocked to realize they were the swords that belonged to his puppet parents.

It took a few moments for what happened to register in Emiko's brain. By that time, Sasori had mumbled something to Sakura. Emiko ran over quickly to Sasori and hugged him tightly around the waist. "Danna!"

Sasori willed himself to look down at the distressed girl. He placed a shaky wooden hand on top of Emiko's head. "Emiko, go with the Konoha ninja."

Emiko lifted her tear streaked face up. "Why?"

Sasori gave her a weak smile. "You were so sad those years when you weren't with them. All I want, all any of us want, is for you to be happy."

Emiko sobbed. "Don't die, Danna! Don't leave me! I love you, Danna!"

Sasori managed to make his smile widen. "I know. I love you too, Emiko."

Emiko smiled shakily. "That's the first time you ever said you love me."

"I know. Be good, Emiko."

Emiko's smile faded and more tears poured down her face. Her eyes were widened in shock. "Danna?"

Sakura hugged Emiko tightly from behind. "Emiko, you just made him contradict everything he said about himself." She smiled shakily at Emiko's confused expression. "He said that feelings were useless, that he felt nothing for anyone."

Emiko cried and hugged Sakura tightly. "I didn't want my Danna to die! Why'd Danna have to leave me!?"

Chiyo dragged herself over and placed a shaky hand on Emiko's head. "I'm so sorry, Emiko. I'm so sorry I made you lose someone so important to you."

Emiko pulled herself away from Sakura and walked over to where Sasori's headband lay. She picked it up and held it tightly to her chest. Another strangled cry escaped her lips. She looked back over at Chiyo, her voice cracking. "May I keep this, please?"

Chiyo smiled. "Yes." She winced in pain as the poison worked through her body. "Emiko, go and wait in the large field a few miles from here. We'll all join you soon."

Emiko's eyes widened. "I don't wanna be alone!"

Sakura hugged Emiko tightly. "You won't be alone for long. We have to save Gaara still."

Emiko knelt down beside the fallen body of Sasori. She kissed his wooden cheek, tears still falling. "Goodbye, Sasori no Danna." She ran from the cave as fast as her legs would carry her. She finally collapsed in the field, curling up in small ball and sobbing, hugging Sasori's headband close to her chest. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she felt someone shaking her.

Naruto stood above her, relief on his face. "You're okay, Emiko-chan."

Emiko's eyes were downcast. "Yeah…" She looked around and saw Gaara's lifeless body on the ground. She realized Naruto was looking at Gaara.

Naruto looked pleadingly at Sakura. When she shook her head negatively, tears rolled down Naruto's cheeks. "Why did Gaara have to die?"

Chiyo sighed. "Calm down, Naruto."

"Shut up!" Naruto screamed. He ranted at Chiyo, tears falling freely at down his cheeks. He finally calmed down and rubbed furiously at his tears. "I couldn't save Sasuke and now, I wasn't able to save Gaara."

Emiko felt a lump in her throat. "What happened to Sasu-chan?"

Naruto looked down at her, tears still falling from his eyes. "He went to Orochimaru."

Emiko's body went completely rigid. She held the tears back, knowing it was not the time to cry for Sasuke. She looked at Gaara's dead body. She crawled over and curled up at his side. She cried and kissed his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Gaara-san. I'm so sorry I let my family hurt you. I'll never forgive myself."

Chiyo shakily stood up and nudged Emiko to the side. "Stay back." She smiled at Emiko. "I won't allow you to lose anymore precious people today."

Emiko watched in awe as a light formed around Chiyo's hands. She leaned against Chiyo's side. She felt more tears fall from her eyes; it reminded her of being with Sasori. She knew what Chiyo was doing. "Thank you, Chiyo-baasan."

She continued to watch silently as Naruto leant Chiyo his chakra. More tears fell from her eyes as the end neared. When Gaara opened his eyes, a sob tore from Emiko's lips.

Gaara looked around in shock. "Naruto?" He looked down at his side and his eyes widened even more. "Emiko?"

Naruto laughed. "Everyone came running to save you."

Emiko barely noticed all the people standing around. She flung her arms around Gaara and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek repeatedly. "I'm so sorry, Gaara-san!"

Gaara put an unsure hand on Emiko's back. "What happened?"

Emiko looked down, biting her lip. "Chiyo-baasan brought you back."

Gaara stood up slowly, with the help of Naruto. He looked down at Chiyo's peaceful body. "Everyone, send your prays to Chiyo-baasama."

* * *

Zetsu and Tobi were wandering around the battlefield where Sasori's body lay. Zetsu looked around. "Emiko was here. She's gone with the Konoha ninja."

Tobi casually flipped Sasori's ring in the air. "It's fine. She'll want to find Sasuke now. Sasuke will be tracking Itachi down which means she'll come back to us again." He looked over at Sasori's dead body. "You wanted to protect her too, just like Itachi. Unfortunately, you failed Sasori. Everything is going just as I have planned."

**This was a hard chapter to write! I had Moonlight Shadow by Groove Coverage on (the slow version) and I couldn't stop crying! My poor little Emiko is going to be so sad from now on! Please let me know what you thought.**


	22. Return to Konoha

**I'm so happy!! Hidan and Kakazu have finally shown up in the anime!! Also, I've been rewatching some of my old anime shows and I rewatched one called Heat Guy J. I forgot how completely amazing that show was! All of you should watch it!**

"Emiko-san, the Hokage will see you now."

Emiko followed the ninja into the Hokage's office. She blinked curiously at the strange woman that sat at the desk. "You're very different from Sandaime-san."

Tsunade smirked. "So, you're the little girl that Akatsuki raised. Jiraiya told me about you."

Emiko gave Tsunade a weak smile. "Are you the lady that Jiraiya-san said knew about my family?"

"Yes, but that is something for us to discuss another time." Tsunade smiled warmly at Emiko. "You look so much like your mother."

Emiko blushed and lowered her head. "Thank you."

Tsunade chuckled. "You act like her too. You should go find Naruto."

Emiko nodded and bounded out of the room. She ran out into Konoha and began looking for Naruto. After running around for a few minutes, she found Hinata hiding behind a fence. She walked over and smiled. "Hello, Hinata-san."

Hinata squeaked and looked down. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's you, Emiko-chan. I didn't know you were back."

"I just came back with Naru-chan."

"Hinata, what are you doing hiding over here?"

Emiko giggled as Hinata fainted. "Hinata-san is funny." She squealed when she saw Akamaru. "Akamaru-chan is huge now!"

Akamaru barked happily as Emiko hugged him tightly. He nuzzled her cheek affectionately. Kiba chuckled. "You sure have grown, Emiko."

Emiko beamed and spun around. "I'm seven now." She blinked when she looked over at the tree and saw Shino. She ran over and hugged him tightly. "It's nice to see you again, Shino-san."

Shino patted her head. He looked back up at Naruto. "She recognized me and we barely spoke to each other. What's your excuse?"

A few minutes later, Emiko was skipping alongside Naruto. "Why are you looking for new teammates, Naru-chan?"

Naruto grinned at Emiko. "We're going to find Sasuke."

Emiko froze. "I want to go."

Naruto frowned. "It's too dangerous."

Emiko glared at Naruto. "That's bullshit! I want to find Sasu-chan!"

"I see the brat is back."

Emiko looked up and pounced on the unsuspecting Chunin. "Shika-chan, tell Naru-chan that I get to go bring Sasu-chan back."

Shikamaru sighed. "This is so troublesome."

"When'd you get back, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko squealed and began waving excitedly. "Hi, Chouji-san! How are you today?"

Chouji joined the small group and smiled at Emiko. "I'm doing great. So, when'd you get back?"

"Just a few hours ago. Naru-chan and I are going to go save Sasu-chan!"

Naruto huffed. "You can't come! It's too dangerous!"

Emiko gasped and quickly ducked to the ground. She peeked up to see Chouji punch a strange lion creature. She scrambled to her feet and glared up at the roof where the assailant was perched.

Shikamaru glanced over at Emiko. "Emiko, you and Naruto attack that guy together."

Emiko nodded and ran beside Naruto up onto the roof. She managed to jump over the strange lions and aimed to punch the assailant in the face. She cried out as he casually flung her to the other side of the roof.

Naruto growled as the lions disappeared. He pulled a kunai out and lunged at the attacker, not even flinching when his kunai connected with the attacker's short sword. "What kind of asshole hits a kid?!"

The guy smiled. "You're pretty weak. Do you even have a penis?"

Emiko winced as she sat up, rubbing her head. "That hurt, you big jerk!" She growled and leapt up. "Ichijinnokaze Toujin!" She growled as the strange boy jumped away, her attack only slicing the air.

The boy smiled down at Naruto. "We'll meet again."

Naruto glared up at the sky. He looked down when he felt a small tug on his hand. "Are you okay, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko pouted and rubbed her head. "That asshole hit me really hard."

"Naruto, Emiko, what are you two doing up there!?"

Emiko looked down at the ground and sighed. "Ino-san is down there."

Naruto and Emiko hopped down to the ground, both greeting Ino politely. Emiko rolled her eyes in exasperation as Ino hugged her tightly.

"You've grown up so much, Emiko! You're just so cute now!"

"There you two are!" Sakura ran up, glaring at both Naruto and Emiko. "I've been looking everywhere for both of you. We need to go meet our new team members."

Emiko blinked. "Does that mean I get to go too?"

Sakura smiled. "Of course. Why wouldn't Sasuke-kun's fiancé get to come with us?"

Ino shrieked. "What do you mean by that!?"

Sakura smirked at Ino. "I thought you knew that. Emiko's family was originally from Konoha and she was engaged to Sasuke-kun."

Emiko laughed sheepishly and blushed. "So my dream was true."

Naruto quickly scooped Emiko up and carried her away from the squabbling girls. He pouted down at Emiko. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Emiko giggled. "I didn't know if it was true or not. Besides, I don't think I'm his fiancé anymore since both of our families are dead."

Naruto sighed. "You've got a point."

"Will you two wait up!?" Sakura ran and caught up with the group. She gave Emiko a concerned look. "Are you really okay, Emiko? I mean, you did just lose a member of your family."

Emiko smiled sadly. "My Papa always said you should never show your emotions. Since I'm no good at that, they trained me to bottle it inside of me. I'm still working on that though."

"So, uh, do you know who are new teammates are, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, wanting divert the subject from Emiko's family issues.

"We're supposed to meet them right up there." Sakura pointed to where two men were standing.

Naruto shrieked. "What's he doing here!?"

Emiko wriggled out of Naruto's arms and looked curiously at the two men. She bowed politely to the one she didn't recognize. "Hello."

The man smiled at her. "Hello." He sighed as he held Sakura back from pummeling the strange boy for his rude comment. "Now, we all need to get along for this mission so I want you all to introduce yourselves."

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Haruno Sakura."

The strange boy smiled. "Hi, my name is Sai."

Emiko bowed to Sai. "I'm Emiko."

Sai looked at her appraisingly. "What's a brat like you doing here?"

Emiko twitched. "I'm not a brat. What's an asshole like you doing here?"

Sai laughed.

Yamato sighed. "We'll leave as soon as all of you get your equipment."

Emiko sat beside Yamato, waiting for the other three to return. She blinked when Tsunade appeared in front of them. "What are you doing here, Hokage-san?"

Tsunade motioned for Emiko to follow her. Once they were a few feet away from Yamato, Tsunade leaned against a stone wall. "Would you like to know a little bit about your mother before you leave?"

Emiko smiled brightly. "Yes!" She stood obediently beside Tsunade.

Tsunade chuckled. "Your mother was a member of the Senju clan. Despite the constant bickering between the two clans, your mother and Uchiha Mikoto were very good friends. The two had thought that if you and Sasuke were to marry, it would unite the two clans and end the fighting. But," Tsunade's face darkened. "there was one man that didn't want that to happen. He was bitter and wanted nothing more than to have you killed. Your mother protected you until the end of her life."

Emiko's eyes saddened as she looked at the ground. "So my mother didn't just abandon me. She was trying to protect me."

Tsunade smiled and knelt down to Emiko's level. "You and I are from the same clan. That means we're family."

Emiko smiled. "So can I call you Tsunade-neechan?"

Tsunade laughed. "Of course you can." She looked back over and saw that the group had returned. "You better get back over there. Make sure, Naruto doesn't get in any trouble."

Emiko grinned and bounded happily back over to the group. "Let's go, Team Kakashi!" She went to walk beside Yamato. She looked over her shoulder and began walking backwards, fixing Naruto with a serious look. "So, Naru-chan, do you really not have a penis?"

**Rawr, sorry it's so late! I got to hold the cutest baby Corgi tonight! He kept biting me and left bite marks all over my fingers! So, we got a slightly closer look at Emiko's past. Will she get along with Sai or will she fight with him just as much as the others? Will she be able to help save Sasuke or will she be a hindrance? Find out next time! Please let me know what you thought!**


	23. Abstract

**Oh my goodness, work was insane today! 1****st**** graders are crazy and so are 3****rd**** graders. **

**For those of you who read my Saiyuki story, please go to my profile page; there's a very important message there. **

Emiko sighed and tugged on Sakura's hand. "They're doing it again."

Sakura smiled reassuringly down at Emiko, ignoring Naruto arguing with Yamato. "Don't worry, Emiko-chan. Naruto will get over it." She squeezed Emiko's hand.

Emiko looked down at the ground. "How'd you find out I was Sasu-chan's fiancé?"

Sakura winced at the memory. "Well…"

"Sasuke betrayed Konoha and left to gain power from Orochimaru." Sai said, smiling at Naruto. "He's worthless trash and I'd prefer not to be compared to him." Sai turned to Emiko and smiled. "You two are perfect for each other, Emiko-san. You're both traitors and weaklings."

Emiko stood beside Naruto and snarled at Sai. "Don't you dare talk about Sasu-chan like that!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed and he took a step forward. Both he and Emiko were startled when Sakura moved in front of the two of them.

"Naruto, Emiko, don't forget that teamwork is the most important thing." Sakura said sternly. She turned to Sai and smiled. "Please forgive the both of them. They tend to speak before thinking about what they say."

Sai smiled. "It's alright. I wasn't really offended."

Sakura continued to smile, ruffling Emiko's hair. "That's good."

Everyone was shocked when Sakura punched Sai and sent him flying. Her eyes were furious. "As for me, I don't care if you forgive me or not."

Emiko glared angrily at Sai. She hugged Naruto tightly around his waist. "Don't let him get to you, Naru-chan."

Naruto gave Emiko a one armed hug but continued glaring at Sai. "Easier said than done."

Everyone, except Sai, was startled when Yamato created a large cage from wood that appeared from underground. Yamato glared at the group in front of him. "If you keep causing trouble, you'll all go in the cage. The four of you have two options; either spend a day in the cage or spend the night at a onsen. The choice is yours." He sighed. "I usually prefer to interact with people in a nicer way. However," his face turned grave. "I have no objections to leading with fear."

Emiko squeaked and hid behind Naruto. "Yamato-san is scary!"

It was a few hours later and Emiko was happily splashing around in a hot springs. She smiled at Sakura. "This is my first time at a hot springs."

Sakura smiled back. "I'm glad you're having fun."

"What the hell is your obsession with penises!?"

Sakura winced at Naruto's loud voice. "Why can't he be quieter?"

Emiko hopped out of the hot springs and climbed the wall that separated the men's bath from the women's. She smiled down at Naruto. "So you really do have a penis." She looked back down at Sakura. "Sakura-san, Naru-chan really has a penis!"

Sakura's face turned even redder. "Get down right now, Emiko-chan!"

Later that evening, Sakura was helping Emiko get ready for bed. She sat behind Emiko and brushed her hair. "Sasuke-kun was surprised when he found out you were originally from Konoha. You should've seen his face when Kakashi-sensei told him that you used to be his fiancé." Sakura giggled at the memory. Her face quickly sobered up. "He was sad though. He felt like he should have protected you and stopped Itachi from taking you away."

Emiko smiled sadly. "Was he mad at me?"

Sakura shook her head and hugged Emiko tightly. "Of course not! Sasuke-kun cares so much about you."

Emiko yawned. "I'm tired."

Sakura giggled and tucked Emiko into her futon. "Sleep tight, Emiko-chan."

Emiko snuggled under her covers. "Good night, Sakura-san."

"Emiko-san, it's time to wake up."

Emiko growled at the person. "Five more minutes."

Yamato chuckled. "We have to go now. We only have a few more days to reach the bridge."

Emiko groggily rolled off the futon and pulled her clothes on. She waited with Yamato for the others to arrive. She looked sleepily up at him. "Emiko-san, do you know anything about your family that you could tell us?"

Emiko looked at the ground fiddling with a stray strand of hair. "I'm not going to betray my family."

Yamato frowned down at her. "So, are you going to tell them all of Konoha's secrets?"

Emiko shook her head. "I won't betray my family in Konoha either."

"Then what are you going to do?"

Emiko kicked a rock. "I won't tell either side anything."

The group had spent the whole day walking and Emiko was exhausted. Her and Sakura were used as a buffer between Sai and Naruto. "Are we going to camp soon, Yamato-san?"

Yamato looked around the area the group was in. "Here is fine." He made a few hand seals and a giant wooden house appeared.

The group scurried into the house and Emiko immediately curled up in a corner of the large room where everyone was. She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Naruto took his jacket off and placed it under Emiko's head as a pillow. He pulled a blanket out of his bag and placed it over Emiko. He kissed her forehead and smiled down at her. "Sweet dreams, Emiko-chan."

Sai smiled. "You're awfully attached to that little brat. What's so special about her?"

Naruto glared at Sai. "You wouldn't understand. Emiko-chan has always been kind to others. She's so loving, even towards people she doesn't know. She's very important to me and Sasuke."

The next morning, Emiko awoke to an empty house. She slowly walked down the stairs and went outside. She wandered around until she finally found the group. She watched Naruto and Sai fighting again and yawned. She walked over to Yamato and tugged on his vest. "What am I supposed to do?"

Yamato smiled at her. "You're going to be our wild card."

Emiko frowned as she watched Naruto storm off. She ran over to him and hugged him tightly. "Everything's going to be okay, Naru-chan."

Naruto hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him."

Emiko forced Naruto to kneel down to her level. She patted his head and kissed his forehead. "It wasn't your fault. Sasu-chan's really stubborn and so are you." She smiled sadly. "He was just a little more stubborn that time."

Naruto took her hand and looked over his shoulder at the others. "Let's get going."

It was the day of the meeting and Emiko was hiding behind a large rock with Sakura, Sai, and Naruto. Her eyes saddened when she saw Yamato disguise himself as Sasori.

Naruto squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't cry, Emiko-chan."

Emiko grinned. "It's okay. I won't cry." She gasped when she saw who the hooded figure was. "Naru-chan, it's that Kabuto guy!"

**So, next chapter will have the whole fighting thing and you'll never guess who's going to show up again! Please review and let me know what you thought.**


	24. Kidnapped and Reunited

**I'm so sorry that this is a day late!! My family got into a huge fight last night and then my hamster had five babies!! Please forgive me for my tardiness!**

"Sakura-san, why isn't he capturing Kabuto?" Emiko asked.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "He needs to be careful. If acts too suspiciously, Kabuto will catch on."

"If he doesn't act soon, he's going to lose his chance." Sai quipped.

Suddenly, Emiko began shivering and pointing at the bridge. "Bad Hebi followed Kabuto!" Emiko blinked when Sai grabbed her arm. "What's wrong, Sai-san?"

Sai smiled. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

The group watched in horror as Kabuto and Orochimaru both attacked Yamato. Emiko looked frantically at Naruto. "We've got to help Yamato-san, Naru-chan."

"Not until he gives us the signal!" Sakura warned.

"There's the signal!" Naruto exclaimed when they saw Yamato motion towards them. The four leapt from behind the boulder and stood in front of Yamato.

Orochimaru smiled eerily at Emiko. "It's so good to see you again, Emiko-chan. My, you've grown so much. Tell me, have you made your choice between Itachi-kun and Sasuke-kun yet?"

Emiko snarled and held a kunai out in front of her. "You better give Sasu-chan back!"

Orochimaru chuckled and looked over at Naruto. "I wonder if you or Sasuke-kun is stronger now."

Emiko screamed and ducked down as Naruto swung at Orochimaru. She gasped as Sai pulled her close. "What are you doing, Sai-san?"

Sai smiled at her again. "Just stay close to me."

Emiko huffed and struggled to get away from Sai. "You can let me go now."

Sai continued to smile at her. "Unfortunately, Emiko-san, I can't."

Before Emiko could question Sai, the air around them thickened with the chakra of the Kyubi. On instinct, Emiko inched closer to Sai. "The air hurts! What's wrong with Naru-chan?"

Sai said nothing and held Emiko tighter to him as the Kyubi's chakra began to go out of control. He quickly let Emiko go and smiled at her. "Please be patient for a few minutes, Emiko-san."

Emiko gasped as she saw the giant bird that Sai drew come to life. She struggled when he picked her up and put her on the bird. "Sai-san, Sakura-san is falling!"

Sai ignored her and flew past Sakura. He ignored Emiko hitting and kicking at him. "Emiko-san, please calm down."

Emiko attempted to bite Sai's arm off. "Where are you taking me!? What about Sakura-san!?"

"Sakura-san isn't your concern anymore." He frowned as Emiko continued to struggle against him. He pulled a piece of rope from his pocket and tied Emiko's arms tightly to her body and then tied her ankles together. "Do I need to gag you too?"

Emiko growled. "Naru-chan won't let you get away with this! I'm going to kick your ass as soon as I get out of these ropes."

Sai merely chuckled. "If you say so, Emiko-san."

When the bird was destroyed, Emiko began screaming as she fell from the sky. She was relieved when Sai caught her but then remembered he was the one that had tied her up. "Let me go! I have to help Naru-chan!"

Sai smiled at her. "Right now, I think Naruto-kun would see you as more of a threat then an ally." Sai held Emiko tightly as another burst of chakra rushed at them. "We'll just stay here until the fight is over." He smiled at her as she continued struggling. He pinched her pressure point and smiled as she became unconscious. "Rest for now, Emiko-san."

When Emiko awoke she let out a scream when she saw who was carrying her. "Let me go, you stupid Four Eyes!" She struggled against the ropes that were tied around her.

Orochimaru laughed. "My dear Emiko-chan, you really must come down. You're mine now so you better behave yourself."

Emiko snarled. "Don't talk like you own me, bastard! I'll rip your heart out!"

Kabuto laughed. "My goodness you have quite the mouth on you."

"Sai, you hypocrite! You called Sasu-chan and me traitors but it's you whose the traitor! I hate you!" Emiko screamed.

"Someone has a big vocabulary for such a tiny brain." Kabuto sneered. He then looked down at her seriously. "Do you need to be put to sleep again or will you behave?"

Emiko glared up at him. "I'll behave if you untie me."

"I'll allow Kabuto to untie you if you promise to behave, Emiko-chan." Orochimaru said, smiling eerily at the young girl.

Emiko huffed. "Whatever you say, Bad Hebi." She stretched her limbs out once the ropes were gone. Reluctantly, she stayed in Kabuto and Orochimaru. She looked at Kabuto out of the corner of her eye. "Is Sasu-chan where we're going?"

Orochimaru laughed. "Of course he is, my dear. Would you like to see him again?"

Emiko said nothing and continued to stare straight ahead. When the group paused to rest, Emiko stood as far away from the group as Orochimaru would allow. She put her ankles in the water and splashed water on her arms to ease the soreness from the ropes. She glared at the three men.

Orochimaru smirked and came to stand beside her. He stroked her cheek affectionately. "Don't be so angry, Emiko-chan. You'll get to be with Sasuke-kun again."

Emiko turned her face away. "Don't touch me, you creep. Just wait until 'Tachi and the others find out. They'll kick your ass."

The group finally reached Orochimaru's lair. Emiko walked between Kabuto and Sai, taking in the dark hallways. She paused in the doorway of a large, dark room behind Kabuto.

"You're late." Said a voice. "You said you'd teach me a new jutsu, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Don't be so angry, Sasuke-kun. I've brought you two presents." He inclined his head towards Sai. "He's from Konoha, like you."

Emiko frowned as she tried to see what was happening but Kabuto wouldn't let her come out from behind him. She let out a tiny gasp when she saw Sai collapse to the ground.

"You said two presents, Orochimaru." Sasuke said. "Where's the second one?"

Kabuto pulled Emiko out from behind him. "It's your long-lost fiancé."

Emiko remained rooted to the spot, unsure of whether to approach Sasuke or not.

Sasuke stood up. "Come here, Emiko."

Emiko slowly approached Sasuke. She stopped in front of him. She looked up into his sharingan activated eyes. Her eyes filled with tears. Even though his eyes were harder, she knew it was still Sasuke. She hugged him tightly around the waist, causing the youngest Uchiha to stiffen. "I missed you, Sasu-chan. I've wanted to see you for so long."

Sasuke finally relaxed and stroked her hair. "I've missed you too, Emiko."

"I didn't expect you to be so affectionate with her, Sasuke." Sai stood up, having recovered from his initial shock. "How upset would you be if someone hurt her?"

Sasuke immediately pulled Emiko behind him. "Touch her and die." Sasuke then calmly turned Orochimaru. "Let's go."

Kabuto stepped forward. "I'll take Emiko-chan to her room."

"No." Sasuke all but snarled out. He pulled Emiko close to his side. "She stays with me."

Kabuto sighed. "She can't be in the same room when you and Orochimaru are training; it's too dangerous."

Sasuke's grip didn't loosen on the small girl. "Then she can wander around and do as she pleases."

Before Kabuto could protest, Orochimaru held up his hand. "That's fine." He smiled down at Emiko. "Please don't touch any of my experiments."

Emiko gently pried Sasuke's arm off of her. "I'll see you later, Sasu-chan." She stuck her tongue out at Kabuto as she ran by him. She went into all the rooms she could find. She found nothing of particular interest until she came to a room where a large tank was in the center of the room. She slowly walked into the room and tapped on the glass.

"That's very rude to do when someone's sleeping."

Emiko gasped and looked around. "Who's there?"

"I'm in here, kid."

Emiko squinted at the tank. She was startled when she saw a face. "You're in the tank?"

"Yup. So who are you? I've never seen you before?"

Emiko curtsied. "I'm Emiko. Who are you?"

"I'm Suigetsu."

For the next few hours, Emiko sat in front of the tank, talking to Suigetsu. She didn't even notice the door opening and screamed when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned around and breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me, Sasu-chan."

"Come with me."

Emiko waved at the tank. "Bye, Suigetsu-kun." She held Sasuke's hand as he led her down the hallway to his room. She followed him into his room and sat on his bed. She fiddled with her dress. "Do you really not care about, Naru-chan anymore?"

Sasuke sat beside her. "He is nothing to me. I have severed all my ties with Konoha."

Emiko looked down at her hands. "So, does that mean I'm nothing to you too?"

Sasuke smoothed her hair down. "No, you're different."

Emiko looked at him, hurt and confused. "How? How am I any different from Naru-chan? You're important to me, just like you are to Naru-chan. I want to take you away from Orochimaru, just like Naru-chan does. How am I any different?"

Sasuke sighed in frustration. "You just are. You'll have to live with that answer."

Emiko puffed her cheeks out and punched Sasuke in his shoulder. "You're a jerk."

Sasuke chuckled. "I know." He forced Emiko to lay on the bed. He tucked her in and then laid down beside her. He stroked her hair until she fell asleep. "You're important to me because you're a connection to my past."

_"I'm sorry, Sasuke. Itachi took Emiko with him." Kakashi said._

_Sasuke sat in the hospital bed, staring straight ahead. He clenched the sheets tightly in his fist. "Why did he take her? What does he want from her?"_

_Kakashi sighed. "How should I put this? He helped raise her. The Akatsuki raised Emiko."_

_Sasuke looked up, surprised. "So she was here to spy on us?"_

_"No." Kakashi assured. "She didn't even know Itachi was your brother. She truly ran away to try and become stronger. Also," Kakashi hesitated unsure of whether to tell Sasuke. "Emiko isn't Emiko's real name. Her real name is Senju Seika and she was originally from Konoha." Kakashi chuckled at Sasuke's wide eyed expression. "So, you remembered Senju Seika?"_

_Sasuke began stuttering. "S-so, I was e-engaged…" his voice squeaked when he said 'engaged'. "…to Emiko!?"_

_Naruto laughed. "Haha, you're engaged to a four-year-old!"_

_Sakura smacked his head. "Shut up, Naruto!"_

_Kakashi chuckled. "Well, technically the engagement is off since both families are no longer with us."_

_Sasuke said nothing for a moment. He lowered his head. "I'm so weak. I couldn't even stop him from taking her away. He's taken everything from me." His eyes narrowed. "I'm going to get her back from him, no matter what."_

Emiko was rudely awakened when Sasuke attacked Sai. She wasn't quite sure what happened. All she knew was now they were outside with Sai standing in a large crater and her sitting beside Sasuke. "Sasu-chan…?"

Sasuke ignored her and watched the gathering group below. "Emiko, stay here and don't move."

Emiko closed her eyes and looked away. She couldn't stand to watch more of her important people fighting. She knew if she tried to interfere she'd do more damage than good. She could hear the shouts and the fighting below her. She covered her ears and cried. She didn't know which side to pick, she didn't know where she belonged, and, even more terrifying to her, she didn't know who her family was anymore.

"It's time to go, Emiko." Sasuke pulled Emiko up and held her close to his side. "I'm never letting Itachi take you away from me again."

Emiko looked sadly down at Naruto's sorrow filled eyes. She reached her hand out to him. "I'm so sorry, Naru-chan." She closed her eyes and held Sasuke hands tightly as she felt herself disappear, afraid she would never see Naruto again.

**Emiko's back with Sasuke now! Will she still idolize Sasuke despite his changes? Will Emiko ever be able to find where she belongs? Tune in next week for the next chapter of Akatsuki Baby (I've always wanted to do that, hehe).**


	25. The Bar of Soap

**I think my first graders got me sick….I feel all blah. **

**This chapter is dedicated to my awesome little kohai, ****BluEbErRy-ChAn!! I 3 you!**

**NightmareAngel365: Sasuke loves Emiko but he's not in love with her….if that makes any sense. She's like a connection to his past and besides, she's just so adorable! How could anyone hate her? **

"Save me, Suigetsu-san!"

Suigetsu peered out through the glass of his tank in time to see Emiko slam the door to the room he was in. He chuckled as she hid behind the tank. "What did you do this time?"

Sasuke barged into the room, a bar of soap in his hand. He glared at the tank. "Where's Emiko?"

Suigetsu laughed. "What's with the bar of soap?"

"I told her if she kept cursing, I was going to clean her mouth out with soap."

"It wasn't that bad of a word!"

"Aha!" Sasuke lunged at Emiko and began chasing her around the room. He finally tackled her to the ground and held the bar of soap to her mouth. "You said fuck and then you punched me in the face!"

Emiko puffed her cheeks out. "Well, you shouldn't have stuck your face so close to mine."

Sasuke took the opportunity to shove the bar of soap into her mouth. "Wake up on time and I won't have to wake you up."

Emiko glared furiously at Sasuke, attempting to yank her arms out of his grasp. She screamed furiously around the bar of soap.

Sasuke flicked her on the forehead. "For every curse word you say, you get an extra two minutes with the soap in your mouth."

"Mmpfh!!"

"That counts."

Suigetsu laughed. "Give the kid a break, Sasuke."

Sasuke glared at Suigetsu. "She needs to learn that it's not okay to use that language."

"Are you her mother or something?"

Kabuto walked into the room and blinked at the strange sight before him. He decided not to question why Sasuke was sitting on top of Emiko and why Emiko had a bar of soap in her mouth. "Orochimaru-sama wants to see you, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke pulled the soap out of Emiko's mouth and smirked at her. "Stay here with Suigetsu." He walked to the door and turned back to Emiko, waving the soap threateningly. "No more cursing."

Emiko stuck her tongue out and began trying to wipe the taste off. She began spitting all over the floor, hoping that would help.

"That's gross." Suigetsu said.

"Shut up." Emiko pouted. "That was so gross!" Once the taste was gone from her mouth, Emiko smiled at Suigetsu. "So, what do you want to do?"

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

"I spy with my little eyes, something grey."

Emiko looked around. "Is it the wall?"

"Nope."

"The floor?"

"Ding ding ding!" Suigetsu made the water swirl around. "We have a winner!"

Emiko yawned. "I'm sleepy."

Suigetsu chuckled. "You just woke up."

Emiko shrugged sleepily. "My medicine makes me sleepy." She curled up on the ground in front of Suigetsu's tank. "Will you be okay if I take a nap?"

Suigetsu grinned at the small girl. "I think I'll manage." He smiled as he watched Emiko's eyes drift shut. He'd gotten attached to the small girl in the few months she had been with them. He frowned when Kabuto walked into the room.

"What are you doing here, Four Eyes?"

Kabuto frowned and walked over to Emiko. "It's time for her medicine."

Suigetsu growled. "You know you Sasuke won't let you near her without him around."

Kabuto smirked, bending down to pick Emiko up. "What he doesn't know won't kill him."

"Kabuto, what are you doing?" Sasuke asked from the doorway.

Kabuto straightened and pushed his glasses up. "I knew you were coming, so I thought I'd go ahead and take her to the lab."

Sasuke strode over and scooped Emiko up, holding her close to him. "Try to touch her again, and I'll rip your heart out." He walked out of the room, not bothering to see if Kabuto was following. He carried Emiko into one of the labs and laid her down on the metal bed. He gently shook her shoulders.

Emiko slowly opened her eyes. She frowned when she saw where she was. "I don't wanna take my medicine."

Sasuke began rummaging in the cabinets. "You need to or else you'll have an attack."

Emiko sat up and crossed her arms over her chest definetly. "I don't care. The medicine taste icky and I hate the shot."

Sasuke came over with the medicine and needle, frowning. "You need to take your medicine."

Emiko began kicking her feet against the metal bed. "I don't want to!"

Sasuke placed his hands on Emiko's shoulder and fixed her with a pleading look. "Please take your medicine, Emiko. You don't know how scary it was to see you coughing up blood and fainting. I don't ever want to see that again."

Emiko sighed and held her nose, quickly drinking the medicine down. She turned her face away. "Hurry up and give me the shot." She cried out when she felt the needle. She continued crying until Sasuke lightly hugged her.

Sasuke allowed a smile to grace his face. He picked her up and kissed her forehead. He carried her back to the room Suigetsu was in and sat her down. He fixed her with a stern look. "Do not leave this room until I come and get you."

Emiko huffed and watched Sasuke leave. She leaned against Suigetsu's tank. "What's Sasu-chan gonna do?"

Suigetsu smirked. "You'll just have to wait and see."

**Uh oh….what's Sasu-chan gonna do!? Please let me know what you think!**


	26. The Smile and the Secret

**Wahh! I've been hiding in my room all weekend because my sister had ten of her friends over! They're insanely loud and one of them keeps flirting with me! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Italics are flashbacks.**

**This chapter is dedicated to the fabulous blackrose1097. She drew the cutest picture of Emiko! You should all go look at it!**

_"Emiko, would you please put some clothes on!"_

_Kakazu rolled his eyes as he heard Konan's appeal to the small, naked three year old that was running through the hideout. He sighed and looked back down at the small dress in his lap. He resumed sewing the red clouds onto the black dress. He didn't even look up when he sensed a presence at the door. "Come in, Emiko."_

_A naked Emiko happily bounded into the room and plopped herself on the cold, stone floor beside Kakazu. "What are you making, Kaka-chan?"_

_"I'm making a dress for you that matches our cloaks. That's what you want, right?"_

_Emiko smiled up at Kakazu. "How'd you know?"_

_Kakazu shrugged. "Wild guess. Stand up. I need to make sure this is going to fit you."_

_Emiko held her hands above her head and let Kakazu slip the dress onto her. She smiled and twirled around. "It's pretty!"_

_Kakazu smiled behind his mask. "Let me finish sewing the clouds on and then you can have it."_

_Emiko giggled as Kakazu gently pulled the dress off of her. "Can I watch?"_

_"That's fine." Kakazu continued to sew. He looked down when he felt a small weight resting against his leg. _

_Emiko was sound asleep against his leg. He put the dress down and picked Emiko up from the ground. He walked over to his bed and tucked her in. Once he was sure she was comfortable, he went back and finished the dress. He placed the dress on the bed beside Emiko and left the room to eat dinner._

_"Where's Emiko?" Itachi asked as Kakazu walked into the room._

_"She's asleep in my room." Kakazu answered, sitting down at the table._

_"Thank you, Kaka!" Emiko came running into the room with the dress on. She twirled around a few times so that everyone could see her dress. She then ran over and climbed into Kakazu's lap, hugging him tightly around the neck and kissing his forehead. "This is the prettiest dress I've ever had! I'll wear it forever!"_

_"You can't wear it forever, idiot." Hidan retorted. "You're going to eventually get taller and outgrow it."_

_Kakazu sighed when he saw Emiko's upset face. "I'll make you more dresses just like it as you get bigger."_

_Emiko grinned and hugged Kakazu tightly. "I love you!"_

_Kakazu allowed a smile to form behind his mask._

_

* * *

__"Emiko, come with me." Kakazu led the still three-year-old Emiko out of her room and into the main room._

_On the floor of the main room was large stacks of gold coins. Some were short while others were almost a foot higher than Emiko. Emiko blinked and looked up at Kakazu. "What are we gonna do, Kaka?"_

_"I'm going to start teaching you math." Kakazu sat on the ground with his legs crossed and motioned for Emiko to come over. _

_Emiko plopped down beside him. "Like counting?"_

_"Something like that." Kakazu grabbed twenty coins. He handed five to Emiko. "I have 15 coins and you only have 5. I decide to give you 5 more coins. How many coins do you have?" Kakazu put five more coins into Emiko's small hands._

_Emiko thought hard for a few minutes. She pouted. "I don't know."_

_"Count them." Kakazu said patiently._

_Emiko slowly counted the coins in her hand. She beamed up at Kakazu. "10!"_

_Kakazu hid a smile. "Very good. Now, since I gave away 5 coins and I started with 15, how many do I have?"_

_Emiko dropped her coins onto the ground and grabbed Kakazu's open hand. She used one hand to grasp onto Kakazu's hand and her other counted the coins in his hand. She hesitated before answering. "10?"_

_Kakazu nodded approvingly. "Very good. If you keep this up, I'll let you be vice-treasurer."_

_Emiko gasped and quickly ran out of the room, screaming at the top of her lungs. "I'm vice-treasurer!"_

_Kakazu actually laughed and smiled behind his mask._

_

* * *

__"Um, Kaka, can I ask you something?" A six year old Emiko stood nervously in Kakazu's door. _

_Kakazu looked up from his account book. "What?"_

_"Will…" Emiko bit her lip. "Will you teach me how to sew? I want to make something really nice for 'Tachi since it's his birthday next month."_

_Kakazu blinked. "What do you want to make him?"_

_"A new holster for his kunai. I want to sew the Uchiha symbol on it."_

_"Do you think that's a good idea? He might get upset."_

_Emiko shook her head. "No he won't. I told him about the Uchiha symbol I sewed on the back of Sasu-can's yukata and he smiled and said he wished he could have seen it. So he won't get mad."_

_"So, why do I need to teach you if you already know how?"_

_Emiko shuffled her feet. "'Cause I'm not very good at it. The circle was all lumpy and stuff when I made it. I want to sew pretty things like you do."_

_Kakazu closed his account book and put it away in one of the drawers in his desk. He then rummaged around before pulling some fabric out. He sat on the bed and waited for Emiko to join him. Once she had, he handed her some of the material, a needle, and thread. "First, you need to thread your needle."_

_Emiko watched closely as Kakazu showed her how and then she shakily attempted to mimic his actions. She finally managed to get the thread through. For the next few hours, she sat beside Kakazu, listening and watching carefully as he taught her the proper way to sew. _

_Once the holster was complete, Emiko smiled and held it up for Kakazu to inspect. "Is it okay?"_

_Kakazu took it from her and scrutinized it. Some of the stitches were bigger than others but overall, it was decent. "Not bad for your first try. Why don't you go hide it so Itachi can't find it."_

_Emiko beamed and quickly hugged Kakazu and kissed his cheek. "Thank you! I love you, Kaka! I promise on your birthday I'll make you something extra special!" _

_Kakazu couldn't help the smile that graced his face as he watched Emiko skip happily out of the room._

_

* * *

__"Hi-chan!!" Three-year-old Emiko scurried over to the hideout entrance where Hidan and Kakazu were standing. She wrapped her small arms around Hidan's legs and laughed as he fell to the ground. She climbed onto his chest and hugged him tightly around the neck. "I missed you, Hi-chan!"_

_Hidan growled and dislodged the child from around his neck. "Would you get the fuck off of me!?"_

_Emiko pouted as Hidan sat her on the ground. She made her big black eyes even bigger and began sniffling. She then released a torrent of tears onto the unsuspecting Jashin worshipper._

_Hidan panicked. If Konan heard Emiko crying like that, she was going to throttle him with her metal bat again. "Would you stop that shit!?"_

_Emiko continued to cry. "Hi-chan hates me!"_

_Hidan groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't hate you, damnit! Now stop with the fucking water works."_

_Emiko sniffled. "Promise?"_

_"Yes!"_

_"Then take me out to get ice cream!" _

_"Do I look like a fucking chaperone!?"_

_Emiko began sniffling again as a warning. "So you do hate me."_

_Hidan sighed. "Why the fuck do I always get stuck doing this shit?" He walked back out of the hideout, not even bothering to see if Emiko was following. He knew she was when he felt a small hand grab his. "What the fuck are you doing?"_

_Emiko grinned up at him. "Holding your hand."_

_"Why?" Hidan attempted to yank his hand out of Emiko's grip._

_Emiko snuggled close to Hidan's side, holding his hand. "Because I love you."_

_Hidan growled and reluctantly allowed the small child to hold his hand. "You better not tell anyone about this."_

_Emiko nodded her head. "It'll be our secret."_

_

* * *

__"Why the fuck do I get stuck with you when your sick?" Hidan sat on the edge of Emiko's bed, glaring accusingly down at the thermometer in his hand. _

_"I'm sorry, Hi-chan." Three-year-old Emiko whimpered out pitifully before coughing. Her cheeks were flushed and she could barely keep her eyes open. All the other members were on their own missions and Kakazu had gone into town to claim a bounty._

_Hidan sighed. "I guess I should get you some medicine." He stood up to leave and frowned when he felt a small hand tug on his cloak. He looked back down into Emiko's upset eyes._

_"Please don't go. It's really cold."_

_Hidan's frown deepened. "What the fuck do you want me to do about it? Do you need more blankets or something?" Hidan was not a caretaker. Usually when the brat got sick, either Konan or Itachi would take care of her._

_Emiko shook her head, coughing again. "I want Hi-chan to take a nap with me."_

_"Are you shitting me?"_

_Emiko pouted. "Please, Hi-chan?"_

_Hidan sighed. It would be a few more hours before Kakazu got home. He laid on top of the covers and reluctantly allowed Emiko to snuggle close to him. "You better not tell anyone."_

_Emiko closed her eyes and yawned. She sleepily responded. "It'll be our secret."_

_

* * *

__"Would you stop moping?" _

_A seven-year-old Emiko didn't look up from the rocks she was throwing into the water. "I'm not moping."_

_Hidan rolled his eyes and plopped down beside Emiko. "The hell you aren't." He sighed when he saw the sad expression on Emiko's face. "Just forget about them. It'll make your life easier."_

_Emiko looked up at Hidan. "I don't want to forget them."_

_Hidan frowned. "So we're not good enough for you anymore?"_

_Emiko's eyes widened. "No! I never said that!" She frowned when she saw Hidan laughing at her. She punched him in the arm. "You're a jerk!"_

_Hidan rubbed his arm. "Shit, that hurt. You're getting to be a strong little brat."_

_Emiko huffed and pulled her knees to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She buried her face in the small circle of her arms. She gasped when she felt an arm wrap around her. She looked up when she was pulled close to a warm body. "Hi-chan…?"_

_Hidan looked out over the lake. "We…the others hate seeing you sad like this. So you better get back to being your bratty self."_

_Emiko smiled and leaned against Hidan's side, closing her eyes and smiling contently. "Okay."_

_"You better not tell anyone about this." Hidan muttered._

_"It'll be our secret."_

"Oi, Emiko, wake up!"

Emiko slowly blinked her eyes opened. She looked around and saw that she was in the room with Suigetsu's tank. She rubbed her eyes slowly and gasped when she realized her cheeks were wet. She looked up at the tank. "What happened?"

"You fell asleep and then just started crying."

Emiko closed her eyes, concentrating. She could feel the chakra of Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu, Tobi, Konan, Pein, and Deidara. She closed her eyes tighter. She began sniffling and then sobbing. "I can't sense them!"

"Shit, what's wrong!?" Suigetsu was beginning to panic. He'd never had to deal with Emiko when she was crying.

Emiko sat on her knees and buried her face in her hands, continuing to cry. "I can't sense Hi-chan and Kaka anymore!"

"What's wrong, Emiko!?" Sasuke ran into the room and quickly knelt beside the distraught child. He pulled her close to him and let her cry onto his shirt. "Did Suigetsu do something?"

Emiko shook her head and continued to cry. "Hi-chan and Kaka are dead! I can't sense them anymore!"

Sasuke smoothed her hair down. He tilted her face up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Stop crying. It's okay."

Emiko cried harder. "No, it's not okay! Hi-chan and Kaka are dead and I'm never gonna get to see them again! They're my family and they're dead!"

"Emiko, look at me." Sasuke waited for Emiko's tear filled onyx orbs to meet his. "We've got to leave now. As soon as we get out, you can cry as much as you want and I'll hold you. Right now, though, I need you to be a tough girl and stop crying."

Emiko took a deep breath and choked back her tears. "W-why do we have to leave?"

"You killed him, didn't you?" Suigetsu asked Sasuke.

Sasuke released Emiko from his embrace and stood up. He pulled his sword out of its hilt. "Yeah. I'm going to let you out now."

Emiko watched Sasuke slash the tank open and water cover the floor. She screamed. "You killed Suigetsu-san!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "No I didn't."

Emiko watched in awe as a man slowly rose from the water. She tilted her head to the side once the man slowly stood up. "Are you Suigetsu-san?"

Suigetsu grinned. "Yup. Nice to finally meet you face to face, Emiko-chan."

Emiko blinked and then looked up at Sasuke. "Why is Suigetsu-san naked?"

Sasuke sighed and covered Emiko's eyes. He looked over at Suigetsu. "Would you hurry up and put your clothes on?"

Suigetsu grinned and quickly appeared behind Sasuke. "You shouldn't act so high and mighty just because you killed Orochimaru. A lot of us were out to get him. You were lucky enough to be a favorite and were allowed more chances than the rest of us."

Sasuke didn't even blink. "Your point?"

Suigetsu laughed and moved away from Sasuke. "Wow, your heart didn't even skip a beat. That's pretty amazing."

Emiko tugged impatiently on Sasuke's hand. "What's going on?"

Sasuke glared at Suigetsu. "Suigetsu is going to put his clothes on and then we are going to get Karin from the southern hideout and Juugo from the northern hideout."

Suigetsu frowned. "Are you serious?" He slowly began pulling his clothes on.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Suigetsu shrugged. "I just don't really like either of them."

"You don't have to like them. You just need to work with them." Once Sasuke was sure Suigetsu was completely clothed, he removed his hand from Emiko's face. He took her hand and the trio walked out of the hideout.

Emiko was silent the whole day, a thoughtful look on her face. She picked at her dinner and eventually gave it to Suigetsu. Later that evening, Suigetsu was sound asleep and Sasuke was keeping watch. Emiko walked over to Sasuke and sat herself in his lap. She sighed in content when she felt his warm arms envelope her.

"You can cry now. I'll hold you until you fall asleep."

As soon as the words left Sasuke's mouth, Emiko unleashed her pent up emotions. She wept into his shirt, clutching the fabric tightly in her hands. She felt Sasuke's arms tighten around her small frame and him placing small kisses on the top of her head. She cried and cried until her body was spent. She fell asleep in Sasuke's arms, tears still managing to leak out as she dreamed.

**I was so sad the entire time I wrote this! Hidan is probably one of my favorite Akatsuki members (I'm really not sure why). It didn't help that I had all the sad songs on my Ipod playing. Some of the worst ones to have playing were Goodbye to You by Michelle Branch, When You're Gone by Avril Lavigne, How Do I Live by LeAnn Rimes, Memories by Within Temptation, Gomenasai by tatu, and, of course, My Immortal by Evanescence. Please review and let me know what you thought!**


	27. That's My Uchiha!

**I tried to make this chapter a little more upbeat and funny since last chapter was kinda…not so funny. I'm really sorry I just disappeared last week! My brain decided it didn't want to work and I couldn't figure out anything to write. On top of that, I got called a bitch at work and one mom hates me! Oh well, such is life.**

"Can I carry your sword, Suigetsu-san?" Emiko was slowly beginning to come to terms with losing Hidan and Kakazu and returning to her upbeat self.

Suigetsu laughed. "I don't think you're strong enough to carry this sword, Emiko-chan."

Emiko pouted and attempted to give Suigetsu her best puppy eyes ever. "Please, Suigetsu-san? I promise I'll be careful."

Suigetsu glanced over at Sasuke to confirm the Uchiha wasn't paying attention. "Fine." He held the hilt of Zabuza's sword out to Emiko. Once he was sure she had a firm grasp on it, he let go.

"Ah! It's heavy!" Emiko staggered around under the immense weight. She let out a terrified scream as she began falling backward, the sword coming down on her. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact. When she realized her head was still attached to her body, she opened her eyes. Emiko immediately regretted it.

Sasuke was glaring furiously down at Emiko, Suigetsu's sword in his hand. He glared at Suigetsu and handed him his sword back. "What were you thinking, Emiko!?" He whapped her on the back of her head after each word.

Emiko cried and covered her head. "I'm sorry, Sasu-chan! I won't do it again!"

Sasuke stopped hitting Emiko in the head and gave her a serious look. "If you ever do something stupid like that again, I'll spank you."

Emiko squeaked. "You can't do that! You're not my daddy!"

Sasuke knelt down to Emiko's level, continuing to glare at her. "Would you care to test that theory?"

Emiko quickly shook her head. "No sir, Sasu-chan sir."

Sasuke stood up, turning his glare to Suigetsu. "If you ever allow her to do something stupid like that again, I'll make you wish I'd left you in that tank."

Suigetsu saluted Sasuke. "Yes Captain!"

Sasuke turned on his heels and began walking again. He glanced down when he felt a small pressure on his hand. He squeezed Emiko's hand reassuringly. "I'm not mad at you. You just startled me."

Emiko smiled up at Sasuke. "I'm really sorry, Sasu-chan. I promise I won't ever do something to make you worry about me ever again."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Somehow I doubt that."

Emiko blinked when the reached the edge of a large body of water. She looked up at Sasuke. "Are we gonna take a boat, Sasu-chan?"

Sasuke sighed and kneeled down, holding his arms out behind his back. "Get on. I'm not dealing with you fainting and drowning."

Emiko puffed her cheeks out. "I'm can walk across water just fine, thank you."

"This isn't a request, Emiko. This is an order. Get on my back or I'm going to spank you."

Emiko huffed and climbed on Sasuke's back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his back. "I'm not a little kid anymore so stop treating me like one."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're still younger than I was when I took the chunin exam."

Suigetsu laughed. "You two look so adorable." He teased. "It's like watching a big brother carrying his little sister."

Sasuke glared at Suigetsu. "Don't make me kill you."

Suigetsu smirked at Emiko. "So, has Sasuke told you about the person we're going to get?"

"No. Who is he?"

"Her name is Karin."

Emiko frowned and pulled on Sasuke's hair. "Why are we getting a girl?"

"Why does it matter? Have you become a fangirl now?" Sasuke readjusted Emiko on his back.

Emiko tugged harder on his hair. "I'm not a stupid fangirl! I just don't like girls. They scream all the time and talk about their hair and stuff."

Suigetsu chuckled. "You do realize you're a girl, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko paused in her yanking of Sasuke's hair. "Yes, but I'm a girl that was raised by seven men and one badass woman."

"Curse one more time young lady and you're getting a spanking." Sasuke continued walking.

"Are you sure you don't just want an excuse to spank her, Sasuke?" Suigetsu taunted. "You seem to be threatening that quite frequently now."

Emiko blinked when Sasuke put her down on the water. She was about to ask him if something was wrong when he began attempting to attack Suigetsu with Chidori. She laughed. "You guys are weird."

Sasuke came back over and allowed Emiko to climb back on his back after he was sure Suigetsu had learned his lesson. He smirked at Suigetsu's hair that was now standing on end.

Suigetsu smoothed his hair down. "It was a joke!"

Emiko hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until she felt ground beneath her feet. She slowly blinked the sleep from her eye, allowing Sasuke to grab her hand and tug her along behind him. She took in all the cells full of people that they passed. She yanked on Sasuke's hand. "Is Karin-san here?"

"Yes."

"So, the rumors are true then."

Emiko peeked from around Sasuke to see a woman with bright red hair and glasses standing in front of them. She wrinkled her nose when she saw the woman's outfit. "She dresses like a whore."

Karin glared at Emiko. "Who do you think you are!?"

Emiko stepped in front of Sasuke and folded her arms across her chest. "I'm Senju Emiko."

Suigetsu laughed. "Oh, this is going to be fun." He grinned at Karin. "Why don't you show us to a room? The little princess just woke up from her nap and I'm tired from walking."

Emiko made sure to stay by Sasuke's side as Karin led them to a room. Once they were in the room and Sasuke was seated, Emiko plopped herself in his lap, glaring at Karin. "Why does she have to come with us, Sasu-chan?"

Karin's eyes widened. "Why would I go with you guys!? I'm in charge of this place!"

Sasuke casually glanced over at Suigetsu. "Go release everyone here."

Suigetsu sighed and got up. "Yes, Your Majesty." He grinned at Emiko. "Come help me, Little Princess."

Emiko looked up at Sasuke. She frowned when he nodded at her to follow Suigetsu. She quickly hugged the stoic Uchiha before chasing after Suigetsu. "I don't like that woman."

Suigetsu ruffled her hair. "Don't worry about her, Emiko-chan. Between you and me, though, I don't like her either."

Emiko giggled and held Suigetsu's hand as they walked through the jail. She bounded over to the large doors of the cell, glancing over at Suigetsu. "Are these the people Sasu-chan wants us to free?"

Suigetsu knelt down to her level and nodded. "Yup." He looked at all the prisoners. "You are all free to go."

Emiko ignored what Suigetsu was saying and attempted to wrestle the key from his hand. "I want to open the door, Suigetsu-san!"

Suigetsu chuckled and handed her the key. "Be my guest."

Once all the prisoners were free, Emiko quickly ran back to the room where Karin and Sasuke were. She frowned when the door wouldn't open. "Suigetsu-san, I can't get the door open."

Suigetsu sighed. "She probably locked it."

Emiko's eyes widened and she began punching the door furiously. "Keep your disgusting hands off Sasu-chan, you rapist!!"

"Move out of the way, Emiko-chan."

Emiko clapped her hands in excitement as she watched Suigetsu knock the door down. She hugged him tightly around the waist. "You're amazing, Suigetsu-san!" She quickly ran into the room and straight to Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't even blink as Emiko placed herself back in his lap. He smoothed her hair down, frowning when he noticed Emiko glaring furiously at Karin. "What's wrong, Em?"

Emiko ignored the new nickname and continued glaring at Karin. "Don't you dare touch, Sasu-chan! He belongs to me!"

Karin returned the glare. "How can he belong to you!? Your name isn't on him!"

"Yes it is!" Emiko forced Sasuke to bend his head down as she yanked the back of his shirt down. "See!"

Karin couldn't respond. Indeed, on Sasuke's back, written in black marker were the words 'Property of Emiko'.

Suigetsu came over to see what was going on and began howling with laughter. "You're owned by a kid!"

Sasuke blinked and straightened himself up. He raised an eyebrow at the small girl in his lap. "What did you do?"

Emiko grinned. "I wrote 'property of Emiko' on your back. I wrote it on Suigetsu-san's back too."

Suigetsu blinked and began attempting to see if he could find any writing on his back. "When did you do that!?"

Emiko giggled. "I'm a ninja! I did it to my family too!" She stopped smiling and returned to glaring at Karin. "So, you can't touch Sasu-chan. You're not good enough for him."

Suigetsu readjusted his shirt after confirming that he too was property of the small Senju girl. "Well, we should leave since Karin doesn't want to come."

Sasuke stood up, holding Emiko in his arms. "Actually, she agreed to come with us." He frowned down at Emiko. "And you are going to get that marker off my back later."

Emiko huffed. "Okay, Sasu-chan."

"I'm only going partway with you guys!" Karin cried out indignantly.

Emiko smiled. "That's a relief. I'll only have to see your ugly whore face for a little longer than."

Sasuke placed Emiko over his shoulder and gently swatted her bottom. He almost laughed at the angry squeak that came from the small girl. He then cradled her in his arms and gave her a stern look. "Play nice, Em."

Emiko huffed and crossed her arms across her chest, swinging her legs out idly. "Fine. So, who's the next person?"

"We need to get Juugo now." Suigetsu answered.

Karin gasped. "Are you guys trying to get yourselves killed!?"

Emiko frowned up at Sasuke. "Is he really that scary of a person?"

Sasuke put Emiko down and took her hand in his. "Are you scared?"

Emiko quickly shook her head, allowing Sasuke to lead her out of the room. "There's only three things in the world that scare me."

Suigetsu jogged to walk beside the duo. "What are those three things, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko glanced warily up at Sasuke. "I don't want Sasu-chan to get mad at me."

Sasuke squeezed her hand tightly. "I won't get angry."

Emiko hesitated before speaking. "My first fear is 'Tachi dying. My second is Sasu-chan dying. My third," Emiko felt tears fill her eyes at the mere thought of her greatest fear. "is that both Sasu-chan and 'Tachi will die."

**Thank you all for being so patient with me. I had to say goodbye to my baby hamsters today….it made me sooooo sad!! Will Karin and Emiko be able to work together without killing each other? How will Emiko react to Juugo? Will her greatest fear come true? Review and you shall find out!**


	28. Mt Juugo

**WOOOOHOOO!! I get to live with Sakura-chan for the week! Sakura-chan got pulled over by a cop tonight!! Silly Sakura's lights were broken.**

**Italics mean emo dreams.**

"I'm tired, Sasu-chan!"

Sasuke sighed and waited patiently for Emiko to climb on his back. He hid a small smile when Emiko buried her face in his neck. "Is it time for your nap?"

Emiko frowned and head butted the side of Sasuke's face. "I don't take naps anymore." She placed her head back in the crook of Sasuke's neck and closed her eyes, ignoring the feeling of Sasuke's chuckle.

_"Don't look at me like that, Emiko." _

_Emiko felt more tears spill down her cheeks as Itachi covered her eyes with his bloody hand. "Don't die, 'Tachi! Don't leave me!" She pulled his hand away from her eyes and nuzzled her cheek against his palm._

_Itachi laughed weakly, more blood spilling down his chin. "I'm so sorry, Emiko. I never wanted you to see this fight. Can you forgive me?"_

_Emiko curled her body up beside Itachi, resting her head on his chest. She looked up at him, her onyx eyes watering. "There's nothing to forgive. Please, don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."_

_Itachi ran his fingers through her long black hair. "You won't be alone. You'll still have Sasuke and the others."_

_Emiko shook her head. "That's not true! 'Tachi is one my most important people! I don't need anybody else as long as I have 'Tachi. If 'Tachi leaves me, I'll lose a part of myself. I love Sasu-chan, but I love you too!"_

_"Don't say that." Itachi scolded. "You need to be strong for Sasuke. I need you to take care of him, okay?"_

_Emiko whimpered as Itachi wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "Just hang on, 'Tachi. 'Tsu will be here soon." She frowned when she felt Itachi's arm go limp. "…'Tachi…?" She looked up at his face and more tears fell from her eyes. She sat up, shaking Itachi's shoulders. " Wake up, 'Tachi…Wake up! 'Tachi!"_

"Emiko, wake up!"

Emiko's eyes shot open and she quickly looked around. She took in Suigetsu's frown, Karin's annoyed look, and Sasuke's worried face. She hopped off of Sasuke's back and curled up on the ground, sobbing.

"Emiko, what's wrong!?" Sasuke knelt down and pulled Emiko's limp body into his embrace. "Did you have another nightmare?"

Emiko whimpered and nodded mutely. She couldn't find her voice. She clutched tightly to Sasuke's top, sobbing into his chest. Her entire body was shaking. She slowly calmed down as she felt Sasuke kissing her head, her cheeks, her forehead, and kissing her tears away. She looked up at Sasuke and held his face in between her hands. She rested her forehead against his. "Don't…"

Sasuke frowned, placing his hands on top of Emiko's. "Don't what?"

"I really hate to break up this special moment," Karin frowned at the scene before her. "but we're here."

Emiko wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck, allowing him to pick her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and smiled when he wrapped his arms around her to hold her up. "Are we gonna go meet Juugo-san now?"

"Yeah." He gave Emiko a stern look. "You are not to leave my sight while we are in here, do you understand?"

Emiko nodded her head, resting her head on Sasuke's shoulder. "I love you, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke blinked but said nothing. He walked forward, holding Emiko close to him. He would talk to her later about what she had dreamed about. He paused when he saw a body lying on the ground. He put Emiko down and walked over to the body. He knelt down beside the man. "What happened?"

The others quickly ran over. Karin held the man's head up. Emiko stood beside Suigetsu, holding his hand tightly.

Emiko looked up at Suigetsu. "What happened to him?"

The man looked wearily at the group. "The prisoners started rioting after they found out Orochimaru was dead."

Sasuke quickly glanced over to Emiko. "Over here, now."

Emiko complied. She winced as she saw the man spasm and then die. She held Sasuke's hand. "What are we gonna do?" She screamed as something large suddenly flew past them, stopping a few feet from the group. "What is that!?"

"Look away, Emiko."

Before Emiko could ask why, Sasuke had disappeared and then reappeared beside the strange man, seriously wounding the man with a swing of his sword. Emiko gasped, her eyes widening in slight fear. When Sasuke walked back over, Emiko slightly tensed up. "Sasu-chan, are you okay?"

Sasuke took Emiko's hand. "The hideout is right over here. Let's go."

After walking for a few minutes, they were greeted by a horde of curse seal level 2 prisoners. Sasuke sighed and looked down at Emiko. "Go hide."

Emiko frowned. "Fuck no! I'm gonna fight!"

Sasuke sighed again. "That's five minutes with the soap for that word."

Emiko quickly got in a fight position. "No way!" She jumped into the throng of people. "Ichijinnokaze Toujin!" Two blades appeared in Emiko's hand. She grinned over at Suigetsu. "I bet I can knock more of them out then you can, Suigetsu-san!"

Suigetsu smirked. "We'll see about that!"

* * *

"What was your final count, Emiko?"

Emiko grinned up at Suigetsu. Dirt covered her face. "25!" She said proudly.

Suigetsu glanced up from his sitting position on top of one of the prisoners. "Not bad for a kid. I got 26."

Emiko frowned and stomped over to Suigetsu. She kicked the prisoner in the head. "26!"

"What the hell!? He was already unconscious!"

"Nu uh! I saw him move!"

Karin walked out onto the battlefield. "I found the keys!"

Emiko held Sasuke's hand as he led the way through the maze that was the Northern Hideout. She frowned when she saw Karin staring at Sasuke.

"Which way, Karin?" Sasuke asked.

Karin thought for a moment before pointing forward. "That way."

Emiko let go of Sasuke's hand to go and walk beside Suigetsu. "So, do you have the curse seal too?"

Suigetsu shook his head. "Do you turn into a monster too, Sasuke?"

Emiko turned around and screeched. "That bitch kidnapped Sasu-chan!" She quickly ran back down the hallway, retracing their steps. She ran down the hallway that she could sense Sasuke's chakra coming from. She turned a corner in time to see Sasuke get punched into a wall by a strange man. "Sasu-chan!" She ran over and punched Karin in the back of the head. "What happened!?"

Karin sat on the floor in shock. She regained her senses when Emiko began moving forward. She quickly grabbed Emiko around the waist and pulled the small girl into her lap. "Are you crazy!?"

Emiko struggled, tears forming in her eyes. "Let me go! He hurt Sasu-chan!"

"Calm down, Emiko."

Emiko blinked the tears from her eyes as she watched Sasuke manage to push the man away. "Are you okay, Sasu-chan?"

Sasuke frowned at the man. "I don't want to fight you, Juugo. I just want to talk."

Juugo laughed and lunged at Sasuke. "You're a pretty good copy!"

Suigetsu jumped in front of Sasuke, pushing Juugo back with his sword. "This guy isn't going to listen to words, Sasuke."

Sasuke stare impassively at Suigetsu. "Why was Emiko alone?"

Suigetsu laughed nervously. "She just kinda ran off and I couldn't find her."

Sasuke sighed. "I'll deal with you later."

Emiko watched in awe as Suigetsu and Juugo continued to exchange blows. "They're amazing." She said softly. She didn't even realize that Sasuke had moved until she saw the snakes wrap around both Juugo and Suigetsu. She wriggled away from Karin and ran away from the group.

She ran out of the hideout and curled up behind a rock. She wasn't sure how long she had been crying when Sasuke finally came out of the hideout. She sensed him before he got too close to her. "Get away from me!"

Sasuke paused a few feet away from her. "Emiko, come here."

Emiko shook her head. "No! That was Bad Hebi's power! Why would you use his power!?"

Sasuke sat down beside Emiko, not touching her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. If I hadn't done that, they would've killed each other. Forgive me?"

Emiko wiped the tears from her eyes and slowly nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry I freaked out." She hugged Sasuke tightly and giggled as he swung her up into his arms.

"Ah, you found her!" Suigetsu ran over, grinning at Emiko. "Did we scare you that badly?"

Emiko puffed her cheeks out. "You don't scare me, Suigetsu." She looked over Suigetsu's shoulder and blinked when she saw Juugo standing to the side nervously. She wriggled out of Sasuke's arms and walked over to Juugo. She craned her neck up to see his face. Her face split into a grin. "You're huge! Can I climb on your back?"

Juugo blinked. "Uh…I suppose if it's alright with Sasuke."

Emiko squealed and ran behind Juugo. She made sure her black marker was in her pocket. She began climbing slowly up Juugo's legs. She continued climbing even after the group had started walking. After about twenty minutes, Emiko managed to make it up to Juugo's waist. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and yawned. "It's time to set up base camp."

Juugo blinked and looked curiously over his shoulder. "Are you okay back there?"

Emiko grinned up at him. "Yup! You know, you're really nice when you're not punching people into walls."

Juugo smiled and continued walking. "Let me know if I need to slow down."

After a few minutes Emiko began climbing again. She finally reached his shoulders and wrapped one arm gently around Juugo's neck. She pulled the marker out of her pocket and tugged the collar of Juugo's shirt down. "I claim this Juugo in the name of Senju Emiko!" She quickly wrote 'P.O.E.' of Juugo's back.

Juugo looked back over his shoulder. "What did you just do?"

Suigetsu laughed. "You have been claimed. She did that to Sasuke and me too."

Juugo smiled when Emiko wrapped both her arms around his neck from behind, hugging him. He could feel her feet dangling loosely on his back. He reached behind him and supported her legs with his arms. "Is that better?"

Emiko grinned. "Thank you, JuJu!"

Juugo blinked. "JuJu?"

"Hey, why didn't I get a nickname?" Suigetsu pouted.

Emiko thought a moment. "You can be Sui-chan!"

Suigetsu laughed. "What about Karin?"

"She's Whore-san."

"That's another five minutes with the soap, Emiko." Sasuke said, not even bothering to look behind him.

Emiko pouted. "That's not fair!" She looked at Juugo. "Tell him that's not fair, JuJu!"

Juugo looked helplessly between Sasuke and Emiko. He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.

**JuJu showed up! Blame Sakura for the emo death dream scene! It's her fault!! Review and let me know what you thought.**


	29. Our Picture

**Sorry that I just kinda disappeared for a week there. I have a totally logistic reason though! You see…I got the new Harvest Moon game for the Wii and I couldn't stop playing! Also, I've started the outline for my own original novel so that's been devouring my time. Thank you all so much for your patience!**

"Run for it, Emiko!" Suigetsu yelled between his fits of laughter.

The group Hebi was currently making their way towards a location that only Sasuke knew. The trip had been fairly uneventful until Karin decided to remind Sasuke that Emiko was due ten minutes with the soap. Emiko was now running as fast as her tiny legs would carry her, zig zagging in an attempt to shake the furious Uchiha off her tail.

Emiko flailed her arms as she ran, screaming at the top of her lungs. "I'm sorry, Sasu-chan! Please forgive me!"

Sasuke was close to her now. "Stop running! You're only making it worse!"

Emiko squealed as she was suddenly tackled to the ground. She lay their, motionless, her face planted in the dirt. She sniffled and turned her head to the side so she could see Sasuke. "You're fat, Sasu-chan. You need to get off of me."

Sasuke growled and stood up, pulling Emiko up by the collar of her dirty and tattered dress. He held the bar of soap in front of Emiko's mouth. "That's another five minutes. Fifteen minutes total."

Emiko pursed her lips, turning her head from Sasuke. She wasn't going to let him shove that disgusting bar of soap in her mouth ever again. She would've started running again if not for the firm grip Sasuke had on her right arm. She glared at him from the corner of her eye.

Sasuke stared at her, no emotions playing on his face. "If you don't open your mouth, I'll have to force you." He frowned when Emiko closed her eyes, refusing to even look at him. He gave a resigned sigh. "You chose this fate."

Emiko let out a shriek as Sasuke suddenly began tickling her sides. She attempted to run away again, but his grip was too strong. She twisted in a vain attempt to escape the Uchiha's merciless tickle attack. Finally she began laughing hysterically. "S-stop, Sasu-chan!"

Sasuke smirked and took the opportunity to shove the bar of soap into Emiko's open mouth. He gave her a look of triumph in return for her glare of defeat. "Stop cursing and being a brat and you won't get the soap." He glared when he saw her hands reaching up to the soap. "If you take it out yourself, that's an automatic twenty minutes added."

Emiko huffed and bit down on the soap. She was already planning different ways to get revenge on Sasuke. She glared at him when he attempted to take her hand as though nothing had happened. She ignored him and skipped back to Juugo, grabbing his hand and glaring at the nonchalant Uchiha.

Juugo looked down curiously but said nothing. He had learned very quickly that it was best to stay out of Emiko and Sasuke's fights. He allowed the tiny girl to hold his hand, giving her hand a small squeeze. He smiled reassuringly down at the upset girl with the soap in her mouth.

Karin laughed. "Serves you right for being such a brat."

Emiko growled and released Juugo's hand, stomping over to Karin. She kicked her in the shin and then quickly ran back over to Juugo, climbing up his back as fast as she could.

Karin howled in anger, glaring furiously at Emiko. "I'm going to kick your ass!"

Sasuke finally turned around, frowning at Karin. "Leave Emiko alone. I'm the only one that's allowed to scold her."

The group continued walking towards wherever Sasuke was leading them. Emiko was slowly becoming frustrated the longer they walked. She knew the fifteen minutes were up but she didn't want to take the soap out since Sasuke said he would add time. She pouted and prayed that Sasuke would eventually remember that he had to get the soap back. She sighed and decided to try and take a nap on her perch on Juugo's shoulder. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on Juugo's.

_"She's very pretty, Haruki-chan."_

_Emiko slowly opened her eyes and sighed; she was back in Seika's body, seeing images of her past again. She looked up and saw her mother blushing. She made a noise in her throat to alert her mother that she was awake._

_Haruki immediately averted her eyes from the man in front of her. "Thank you, Kakashi-senpai."_

_Emiko frowned and turned her head. Sure enough, a slightly younger looking Kakashi stood in front of her and her mother. _

_Kakashi smiled warmly at the staring baby. "Who's her father?"_

_"H-her father is um…well…" Haruki busied herself with adjusting Emiko's blankets. "I met him on one of my missions. We got along very well and he was very nice."_

_Kakashi held his arms out. "May I hold her?"_

_Haruki hesitated before allowing Kakashi to take her baby from her. She smiled sadly at the sight of Kakashi cooing to her baby. _

_"Have you told him?"_

_Haruki was startled. "Excuse me?"_

_Kakashi looked up from holding Emiko's tiny hands in his. "Her father. Have you told him about her?"_

_Haruki averted her eyes to the side. "No. I don't know how to get in contact with him."_

_Kakashi frowned. "He must not have been that nice of guy then. Do you at least know what village he's from?"_

_Haruki shuffled her feet nervously. "No…I didn't pay much attention to his forehead protector and I never asked."_

_Kakashi sighed. "You really are hopeless, Haruki-chan."_

_Haruki flushed. "I-I just didn't think it was that important to know!" She said defensively._

_Kakashi held Emiko up in the air, smiling at the happy noise she made. He then handed her back to Haruki. He placed his hands on Haruki's shoulders, smiling at her. "If there's anything you or Seika-chan ever need, just let me know. Since her father won't be here to take responsibility for her upbringing, I'll help the best I can."_

_Haruki smiled up at Kakashi. "Thank you, Kakashi-senpai."_

"Emiko, wake up! You're drooling all over Juugo!"

Emiko was jerked from her sleep. She frowned when she realized the soap was still in her mouth. She tugged on Juugo's hair impatiently, pointing at the soap once she had his attention.

"Um, Sasuke, I think Emiko's fifteen minutes with the soap are up." Juugo said warily.

Sasuke blinked before turning back around. He walked over and took Emiko from Juugo's shoulder, holding her in one arm. He pulled the bar of soap out of her mouth and immediately handed her his canister with water. "Sorry."

Emiko glared at him once she was done chugging all the water. "Because of you I had a weird dream."

Sasuke looked at her curiously. "A dream?"

Emiko nodded but said nothing. She was thinking about her dream and wondering why she was remembering these random events. She finally took in her surroundings and frowned. They were inside an old building and it was very cold. She hugged herself in an attempt to warm up. "What are we doing here, Sasu-chan?"

Sasuke grabbed one of Emiko's hands and pulled her forward. "We're here to prepare for battle."

Emiko's eyes widened and she tightened her grip on Sasuke's hand. Battle meant fighting her family, fighting Itachi. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back tears at the thought of Sasuke and Itachi fighting. She wasn't ready to choose, wasn't ready for one of them to get hurt. Her dream flashed before her and she let out a small whimper.

Sasuke frowned and quickly scooped Emiko up into his arms. He leaned his forehead against hers, frowning as her eyes remained shut. "Emiko, I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Emiko opened her eyes, tears slowly forming. "That's not why…."

"It's been a long time, Sasuke."

"What are you doing here?"

The entire group turned to the mysterious voices. Sasuke was the only one unfazed by the sight of two cats wearing clothes. "Hello, Denka, Hina. We're here for weapons and medicine."

The two cats looked curiously at Emiko. Hina was the first to react. "Oh, it's the little Senju baby! You've gotten a lot bigger since we last saw you."

Emiko wriggled out of Sasuke's arms, forgetting why she was upset for the moment. She bounded over to the two cats. "Kitties!" She happily scratched the two cats behind their ears, giggling as they began purring.

Suigetsu held his hand out. "Aw, come here kitty kitty."

The two cats hissed at him before returning their attention back to Emiko. Emiko giggled and continued petting the two ninja cats.

Suigetsu quickly retracted his hand and frowned. "How come they let Emiko, pet them and not me?"

Emiko grinned at Suigetsu. "'Cause I'm cuter than you."

Denka pulled away from Emiko long enough to look at Sasuke. "So, did ya bring us anything good?"

Sasuke pulled a small bottle of catnip out of his pack. "Here."

Hina jumped forward and grabbed the bottle, trotting happily down the hallway. Denka looked back at the group. "Follow me. I'll show ya to the Granny Cat."

Emiko took Sasuke's hand, smiling happily as they followed the two ninja cats into a large room. She stared in awe. "There are kitties everywhere!"

An old woman nodded at the group. "Welcome."

Emiko looked around the room, petting all the cats she could find. She ignored the disgusted look Karin gave her and continued exploring the room. She blinked when she found a small, dusty picture hanging in a dark corner of the room. She carefully took the picture off the wall and wiped the dust off. She gasped and nearly dropped the picture. "Sasu-chan, it's a picture of you and me!"

Sasuke looked up from handing Granny Cat the money. He stood up and walked over to kneel behind Emiko. The corners of his lips turned up slightly. He was only eight years old in the picture. He was looking dubiously down at the tiny girl he held in his arms. One of his fingers was being held tightly by Emiko's two tiny hands. "You were a week old when my mother took that picture."

Emiko looked sideways at Sasuke. "I was really tiny!"

Sasuke ruffled her hair. "You're still really tiny."

Granny Cat watched the exchange with interest. "You are Senju Seika? We thought he had killed you."

Emiko smiled brightly at the old woman. "Nope, I'm alive. And my name is Emiko, not Seika."

Granny Cat frowned. "We were told that your body was found by your mother's."

Emiko frowned as well. "No. My mother hid me in some tall grass and 'Tachi found me. The Akatsuki raised me."

Granny Cat's frown deepened. "That is interesting…."

Emiko walked over to the old woman, the picture clutched tightly to her chest. "May I keep this, Granny Cat?"

Granny Cat nodded. "Of course. I also have something else of yours. The Anbu gave it to Mikoto after Haruki's body was found. She gave it to me for safekeeping." Granny Cat's eyes saddened. "She was the second person to swear that you were still alive."

Emiko blinked, watching curiously as Granny Cat rummaged through some boxes. "Who was the first?"

Granny Cat returned with a small, dusty wooden box. "That Hatake boy. He swore that Haruki would never let anything happen to you."

Emiko's eyes widened. She thought back to her strange dream and frowned in concentration. "Was Kakashi-san good friends with my mother?"

Granny Cat nodded and rummaged through the box in front of her. "They were very close. He was her captain in the Anbu. Ah, here it is." She pulled out a small, golden charm bracelet from the box. There were only three charms on the bracelet. One was the Uchiha Clan symbol, the second was the Senju Clan symbol, and the third was the Konoha leaf. "Hold your arm out and I'll put it on you."

Emiko did as she was told. Once the bracelet was secure on her wrist she held in close to her chest in awe. "It's pretty."

Granny Cat nodded. "You were our last hope to bring the two clans together. When you disappeared, that hope disappeared as well." Granny Cat looked pointedly at Sasuke. "You take good care of this girl, Sasuke. Don't let anyone hurt her."

Sasuke nodded shortly. "We need to leave now." He walked over and took Emiko's hand that wasn't holding the picture. He bowed to Granny Cat. "I'm in your debt."

Emiko wriggled her hand out of Sasuke's grasp and ran back over to Granny Cat, hugging her tightly. She released her grip and ran back over to Sasuke, grabbing his hand. "Thank you so much, Granny Cat!"

The group walked towards the exit in silence. Emiko frowned when she saw it was running. "We're gonna get wet."

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "Thank goodness you're here, Emiko. I would have never known that you get wet in the rain."

Emiko stuck her tongue out at Suigetsu. "Meanie head." She blinked when she felt something being wrapped around her shoulders. She looked down and saw that Sasuke was buttoning a large black cloak around her. She watched as Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo all put on matching cloaks. She clutched the picture close to her chest. "Our picture won't get wet, will it Sasu-chan? I don't want it to get messed up."

Sasuke actually smiled and held his hands out. "Let me hold onto it. I won't let it get wet, I promise."

Emiko reluctantly allowed Sasuke to take the picture. "You better take good care of it."

Sasuke took her hand in his once he had put his own cloak on. He squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, I'll protect our picture."

Karin gagged. "You know, only babies cling to people, Emiko."

Emiko turned around and stuck her tongue out. "And only jealous people get wrinkles."

Suigetsu laughed. "You're the best, Emiko!"

Emiko grinned proudly. "Thank you, Sui-chan."

Juugo frowned. "You probably shouldn't encourage that behavior."

Emiko pouted. "Are you saying I'm a bad person, Juju?"

Juugo immediately shook his head. "That's not what I meant at all, Emiko!"

Emiko giggled at his panicked expression. "I was just kidding." She smiled broadly as Sasuke led the group out into the cold rain. She squeezed his hand tightly. Her smile softened when Sasuke squeezed her hand back, pulling her closer to his side. She looked at her bracelet glittering on her wrist. There were so many questions she had wanted to ask Granny Cat about her mother, about her past. She closed her eyes and sighed. Those questions would have to wait for another time when her two most important people were getting closer and closer to a deadly confrontation that would take at least one of them from her. She was glad that the rain hid her tears from the group.

**Yay!! I've really missed updating. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and hopefully Sakura02-chan will stop harassing me!! Please review!!**


	30. My Little Artist

**So…the heater in my house died. It usually wouldn't be that big of a deal since it's, you know, Texas and it's barely ever cold. Of course though, the day my heater dies is the day a cold front comes in. Somebody up there hates me! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, certain people would have never died! I, along with Sakura02-chan, only own Emiko and Haruki. **

**Warnings: People have a tendency to die in this story (not that it's my fault! Blame Kishimoto!). **

**Sakura02: Yeah, I have no doubt in my mind that if what we predicted comes to pass, that picture will be used in an extremely emo scene.  
****  
Lady of the Lake: Are you talking about Sasuke? If so, I do agree with you that he was out of character in the last chapter. He's one of the trickier characters to write and now that he's in there a lot, I guess I need to be a little more careful with his personality. Thank you for your critique! I shall take it to heart.**

**I-Eat-My-Vegetables: The cats don't play a major role in Emiko's past. She just met them a few times when the Uchiha would take her to the kitty place.**

_"Emiko, hold this for me."_

_Emiko clutched Deidara's forehead protector that he had just handed to her tightly to her chest. "Please don't fight each other, Deidei, Sasu-chan!"_

_Deidara grinned at Emiko. "Don't worry, this fight will be over soon and we'll go home together." _

_Emiko watched in horror as Deidara created a giant, clay dragon, creating multiple bombs. Again, she was conflicted on who to help. Her legs remained glued to the ground, tears spilling from her eyes. "Stop!"_

"Wake up, Emiko."

Emiko opened her eyes and looked around. She was in Sasuke's arms and the others were gone. "Where are Juju and Sui-chan?"

Sasuke wiped the remaining tears from Emiko's cheeks. "Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin have all gone to look for clues on Itachi's whereabouts. You're going to stay with me."

Emiko nodded silently. She hugged Sasuke tightly around his neck. "Do you really have to fight 'Tachi?"

Sasuke frowned and put Emiko down. He held her face in between his hands and glared at her. "Of course I do. What kind of an idiot question is that? He killed my family, Emiko. Wouldn't you want revenge against the person that killed your family? Don't you want to kill the man that killed your mother and forced her to abandon you?"

Emiko bit her lip. "I don't know." Tears filled her eyes. "Please don't be mad at me, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke sighed and hugged her. "I'm not mad at you."

"Ah, there you are, Emiko-chaaaaan!"

Sasuke immediately stood up and placed Emiko behind him. He glared when he saw the cloaked figure. "You're a member of Akatsuki."

Emiko peeked from around Sasuke's legs and gasped. "What are you doing here, Tobi?"

Tobi held his hands up defensively. "Just on a mission. You know, you sure do look like Itachi-san, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke sent Tobi and evil Uchiha Death Glare, pushing Emiko behind him once again.

Tobi squeaked and ran behind a tree. "You're scary, Sasuke-kun!"

Before Sasuke could prepare to attack Tobi, he sensed a presence above him. He looked up in time to see small bombs raining down upon him. Quickly, he grabbed Emiko and summoned a snake to protect them. His sharingan eyes glared. "You could've killed her, you bastard."

Emiko blinked and looked out of the circle the snake created. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Deidei!"

Deidara smirked. "Like you would let anything happen to her. I bet she's got you wrapped around her little finger like she does Itachi." His smirk widened at the furious look on Sasuke's face. "I like the malice in his eyes, un."

Tobi sighed. "I'm going to have to apologize to Itachi-san for this."

Sasuke placed a hand on Emiko's head, pulling her close to him. "You make it sound like she doesn't have all of you wrapped around her little finger. I bet you'd do anything for her too." He didn't even glance down at Emiko. "Stay put."

Emiko barely realized Sasuke had let go of her by the time he was attacking Deidara and Tobi. Emiko was even more startled when Tobi ran toward her and grabbed her, carrying her under his arm and heading for the safety of the trees. "Let go of me, Tobi! I've gotta stop their fight!"

Tobi laughed nervously. "I doubt it would be a good idea to get in between that fight, Emiko-chan. We should just stay out of the way." He placed her on the ground beside him. "Just stay close to me, Emiko."

Emiko frowned. It was that voice again. The voice that Tobi had used so long ago. "Who are you really, Tobi?"

Deidara landed by the two of them at that moment, stopping any possible response from Tobi. He grinned down at Emiko. "Are you okay, Chibi-chan?"

Emiko slowly nodded her head. "Deidei, please don't fight Sasu-chan."

Deidara said nothing and instead took his forehead protector off. He handed it to Emiko. "Emiko, hold this for me."

Emiko clutched Deidara's forehead protector that he had just handed to her tightly to her chest. "Please don't fight each other, Deidei, Sasu-chan!"

Deidara grinned at Emiko. "Don't worry, this fight will be over soon and we'll go home together."

Emiko watched in horror as Deidara created a giant, clay dragon, creating multiple bombs. Again, she was conflicted on who to help. Her legs remained glued to the ground, tears spilling from her eyes. "Stop!" Her plea fell on deaf ears and the battle continued.

"It would be wise for you to move out of the fight range, Emiko." Tobi grabbed Emiko and hid her safely behind a tree. "Stay here until we have finished this fight."

Emiko couldn't form a sentence, only managing to open and close her mouth as Tobi walked away. Again, again she was going to lose someone important to her and she could do nothing to stop it. She was powerless. "Stop fighting!"

_"Deidei, I drew this picture for you!" A three year old Emiko stood proudly in front of Deidara, holding up a picture full of squiggly lines and large, colorful loops._

_Deidara took the picture from Emiko, inspecting it closely. "Thanks. You know this isn't art though, right, Chibi-chan, un?"_

_Emiko cocked her head to the side curiously. "It's not? What's art then?"_

_Deidara grinned and took Emiko's hand. "I'll show you." He led her through the maze of hallways to his room. He sat down at a small table and motioned for Emiko to join him._

_Emiko obediently sat beside him. "What are we gonna do, Deidei?"_

_"We're going to make sculptures, un." He handed her a small amount of clay. _

_Emiko looked curiously at the clay. "What do I make?"_

_Deidara laughed. "Whatever you want to."_

_Emiko thought for a moment before sculpting the clay. She ignored Deidara's curious staring. After a few minutes, she grinned triumphantly and held her creation up to Deidara. "All done!"_

_Deidara blinked. "What is it?"_

_Emiko frowned. "It's you!"_

_Deidara looked closely at the blob before grinning. "Oh, I see it now, un."_

_Emiko's smile returned. "What do we do with it now?"_

_Deidara grinned. "We blow it up, un."_

_Emiko's expression immediately became horrified. "You can't blow it up! I made it for you! You have to keep it forever!"_

_Deidara groaned. "You sound like Sasori no Danna when you talk like that, un."_

_Emiko pouted. "You don't have to keep it if you really don't want to."_

_Deidara sighed and took the sculpture from Emiko, placing it in the center of his work table. "I'll keep it since you made it."_

_Emiko beamed. "Does that mean I'm an artist now, Deidei?"_

_Deidara ruffled her hair. "Yeah. You're my little artist."_

_

* * *

_

_"So, how was your adventure in Konoha?" Deidara sauntered into Emiko's room, frowning when he saw her laying face down on her bed. "Hey, are you really that upset about coming home?"_

_Emiko turned her head to the side to look at Deidara. "I miss Sasu-chan and the others."_

_Deidara sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He suddenly snapped his fingers. "I know! Let's paint!"_

_Emiko sat up. "Just painting right? Nothing exploding?"_

_Deidara waved his hand dismissively. "Of course. Konan's still pissed at me about last time."_

_Emiko smiled as Deidara left, coming back a few minutes later with a huge stack of paper, different colored paints, and bowls. She watched curiously as he poured the paint into the bowls. "Where are the brushes, Deidei?"_

_Deidara laughed. "We're going to finger paint, un."_

_Emiko squealed excitedly and jumped off her bed to join Deidara on the floor. Immediately, she stuck her fingers in the red paint, drawing patterns on the paper in front of her. _

_The two sat in relative silence as they painted. Emiko got a wicked idea and grinned mischievously at Deidara before flicking green paint onto him. She giggled at his surprised face._

_Deidara sighed and stuck his hand into a bowl of blue paint. "That wasn't very nice, Chibi-chan, un. Revenge!"_

_Emiko screeched as Deidara rubbed his paint covered hand all over her face. Emiko retaliated by tossing the bowl of red paint at Deidara. Soon, paint was flying all over the room. _

_Deidara was now holding Emiko in his lap, laughing. "Truce, un?"_

_Emiko grinned. "Truce." She looked around her room and frowned. "Mama is gonna be mad at you."_

_Deidara smirked. "I'll just tell her it was us artist being creative, un."_

_"I'm an artist just like you and Danna."_

_Deidara smiled and kissed Emiko's paint covered forehead. "Yup. You're my little artist."_

_

* * *

_

_"Deidei, I don't like yours or Danna's view on life."_

_Deidara blinked. The two were lying in a field side by side, Deidara awaiting orders from Pein and Emiko with nothing better to do. "Why do you say that?"_

_Emiko frowned thoughtfully. "I don't like how Danna thinks everything should last forever. If you live forever, everyone important around you will get old and die and you'll be all alone. I don't like Deidei's though because your life is short enough as it is and you won't get to experience new things if you die so young."_

_Deidara smiled. "That's pretty insightful for a kid, un. So, what do you think is the right way to live, un?"_

_Emiko closed her eyes. "Something in between. Living a long, happy life but dying before you have to see all your important people die. That's the kind of life I want to live. I want to die protecting my precious people."_

_Deidara reached over, taking Emiko's hand in his. "That's an interesting view on life, Chibi-chan, un. You're definitely my little artist." _

"Stop it!" Emiko screamed and ran in between the two, facing Sasuke and blocking Deidara from the oncoming Sasuke. She held her arms out, glaring furiously at Sasuke, tears spilling from her eyes. "Stop hurting Deidei!"

Sasuke collapsed to the ground, his chakra spent. "Get out of the way, Emiko."

Emiko shook her head. "Don't hurt Deidei anymore. Please, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke deactivated his sharingan, preparing to scold Emiko for disobeying when he noticed Deidara moving behind Emiko. His eyes widened. "Move, Emiko!"

"You should listen to the Uchiha, Chibi-chan, un."

Emiko looked behind her and gasped. Black veins were running all across Deidara's body. "Deidei…"

Deidara laughed crazily. "You better hurry up and run, Chibi-chan. You'll barely be able to clear the blast if you keep standing there."

Sasuke watched in shock as Emiko remained rooted to her spot. He didn't know how this guy normally acted with Emiko but he knew the guy had gone completely insane. "Run, Emiko!"

Emiko gasped as a blinding white light appeared. She closed her eyes, barely feeling arms wrap around her. She was dead, she just knew it. Deidara had gone insane and blown everything up, including her.

"Emiko…open your eyes."

Emiko slowly obeyed the voice, taking in her surroundings. Someone was holding her close. She looked up and gasped. "Sasu-chan, are you okay!?"

Sasuke glared at her. "I told you….to run…idiot…"

Emiko looked away as tears formed in her eyes. "Deidei would never hurt me. Deidei loves me…"

"He blew himself up with you standing right there! How the hell can you defend him!?" Sasuke was furious to say the least. He had barely managed to save the two of them and she was upset by the psycho's death.

Tears fell from Emiko's eyes. She was clutching Deidara's forehead protector close to her heart. "He was upset! He wasn't himself! Deidei loved me! I was his little artist!"

Sasuke sighed as Emiko continued crying. He hugged her tightly, wincing at the pain it caused him. He held her close, waiting for her sobs to turn to hiccups and eventually for her breath to even out. He looked at Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin who had just appeared. "We need a place to rest. She's not going to want to go anywhere for a while."

Suigetsu laughed. "Neither are you by the looks of things." He frowned at the unconscious Emiko in Sasuke's arms, remembering the scene he had just watched between the two. "Is it really okay to have her tagging along with us. I mean, you are trying to kill her family."

Sasuke frowned and tightened his grip on Emiko. "She has nowhere else to go and I'm not just abandoning her. She understands."

"Understanding and dealing with something are two different things." Suigetsu pointed out.

Sasuke said nothing and stood up, holding Emiko close to his chest. "Let's go. We need to find somewhere to rest before we continue."

**So, this chapter was originally a lot better and longer but my stupid computer hates me and deleted it! I'm really tired so I'm going to go sleep and plot ways to destroy my computer. Night all!**


	31. I'll Never Hurt You

**Oh my gosh!! Did any of you read the latest Naruto chapter!? I'm not going to spoil anything just incase some of you haven't but….Oh my gosh!!! I hate my computer! It's super slow and it's driving me up the wall. **

**I would like to address Alicia Kawa Uchiha's review. I'm sorry if my following the actual storyline upsets any of you. I love the Akatsuki (they're probably my favorite characters in Naruto) and I'm just as pissed at Kishimoto for killing them as the rest of you are. However, I just don't see how Emiko could possibly prevent any of them from dying. She's only seven years old and just now beginning to mature in her powers. She is definetly not even close to any of the other ninja's level. And, for the millionth time, NO Emiko is not going to get with Sasuke. This is not a romance fic. Yes, Sasuke is her first love and Sasuke does have a deep affection for Emiko, but that's it. She's seven and he's like fifteen for crying out loud! **

**Sorry about that….I just had to get that off my chest….On with the chapter!!!!!**

_"Kakashi-senpai, are you humming the 'Rubber Duckie' song to Seika?" Haruki walked into her kitchen, holding a tiny white towel. She bit back a giggle at the sight of Kakashi bending over the sink, holding a rubber duck._

_Kakashi looked up sheepishly and quickly put the toy down. "She was getting annoyed with waiting so I thought I'd distract her and she seemed to like the squeaking duck." Kakashi picked the tiny baby up out of her bath seat and placed her in the towel that Haruki held out._

_Haruki giggled and gently began drying her baby girl off. "Thank you, Kakashi-senpai."_

_"For what?"_

_Haruki blushed. "For helping me with Seika. I don't know what I'd do without your help."_

_Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "It's really no problem. She's a pretty good girl for the most part." His face became serious. "Haruki, have you been able to find her father yet?"_

_Haruki quickly averted her gaze and busied herself with putting a diaper on Seika. "No…but I haven't really been looking."_

_Kakashi sighed. "It won't be good for her to grow up without a father."_

_Haruki dressed Seika and then scooped her up in her arms, quickly retreating from the room. "You can be her father figure then."_

_Kakashi blinked, standing unsurely in the kitchen. "What?"_

_Haruki poked her head back into the kitchen, a grin on her face. "Well, you're over here all the time, you rock her to sleep, you change her diapers, and give her baths. That sounds like a father figure to me."_

_Kakashi scratched the back of his head again, a slight blush forming on his cheeks. "Well, if you don't mind me being around all the time, I guess that'd be fine."_

_Haruki smiled, a light pink tint dusting her cheeks. "I don't mind. Thank you, Kakashi-senpai."_

"Geez, how long is that stupid brat gonna sleep?"

Emiko groaned as she felt a foot nudging her side. She curled up closer to the warmth that she was being held in.

"Stop it, Karin." A familiar and comforting voice commanded.

Karin growled. "She won't let go of that stupid forehead protector."

Emiko frowned when she felt someone trying to pull Deidara's headband from her grip. She held onto to it tighter. "No!" She opened her eyes slowly, glaring when she saw it was Karin trying to take the headband away from her. "This is Deidei's! Let it go!"

"Karin," Sasuke's voice warned. "leave her alone." He looked down at Emiko as she slowly sat up. "How do you feel?"

Emiko looked up at him before turning her gaze to the Deidara's headband in her hand. "I've lost another precious person. I couldn't protect another one of my family." Tears fell down her cheeks. "How do you think I feel?"

Sasuke sighed. He ignored Karin and Suigetsu's fighting and pulled Emiko into his lap. He hugged her tightly. "Emiko…"

"I wanna kill something."

Suigetsu and Karin reacted quickly. They both grabbed Juugo, attempting to restrain him. Karin looked pleadingly at Sasuke. "Hurry, Sasuke. We can't hold him much longer!"

Sasuke activated his sharingan and looked calmly at Juugo. "Juugo, calm down."

Emiko wriggled out of Sasuke's grip, tears still rolling down her cheeks. She walked over to the kneeling Juugo and wrapped her arms around his head, hugging him. "Are you okay, Juju?"

Juugo lifted his head up, frowning at the tears on Emiko's face. "Yes, I'm fine."

The group looked up when they heard a thud. Emiko was the first to react. "Sasu-chan!" She let go of Juugo and ran back over to Sasuke's side, kneeling by his unconscious form. She shook his shoulders. "Sasu-chan, wake up!"

Juugo sat beside her and gently pried her arms from Sasuke's shoulders. "It's okay, Emiko. He just used way too much chakra. He needs to rest."

Emiko wiped her tears away. "He's going to be okay, right?"

Juugo nodded. "Yeah, he'll be fine." He frowned when he noticed the dark circles under Emiko's eyes. "You need to rest too."

Emiko quickly shook her head. "I'm okay. I just keep having really weird dreams."

Suigetsu looked up from drinking from his water bottle. "What kind of dreams?"

Emiko shrugged. "I used to dream about the future all the time. I still do but now…I've been having dreams about my past."

"Get some rest." Juugo prodded again, forcing Emiko to lay on the futon beside Sasuke.

Emiko huffed, turning onto her side and clutching Deidara's forehead protector close to her chest. She snuggled up to Sasuke's warm side, letting sleep claim her once again.

_"I'm not going to let you use her."_

_A three year old Emiko was hiding in the hallway. She had gotten out of bed to get a glass of water when she heard Itachi's voice._

_An unfamiliar voice responded, chuckling. "Do you really think you can stop me? You should be grateful that I didn't kill her the minute you brought her in."_

_Itachi growled. "She is not yours. She has done nothing to deserve dying."_

_The stranger's voice darkened. "She has done everything to deserve death. She is one of them. Her family is the reason you are here now and that your entire clan is dead."_

_Emiko frowned, wondering who they were talking about. She was really tired and wanted some water. "Who're are you talkin' to, 'Tachi?"_

_Itachi looked up, frowning when he realized the person had vanished. He turned his gaze to Emiko, his eyes softening. "Nobody. Why are you up?"_

_Emiko rubbed her eyes, holding I-chan in one hand. "I want some water."_

_Itachi walked over and picked Emiko up, carrying her into the kitchen. He sat her down on the counter and got her glass of water. He smiled as he watched the three year old gulp water down. "Ready to go back to bed?"_

_Emiko put the glass down and pouted. "I want 'Tachi to stay with me."_

_Itachi sighed. "Okay." He carried Emiko back to her room, closing the door behind him. He laid down beside her, smiling slightly as she snuggled close to him. He hugged her tightly. "Emiko, do you think we're bad people?"_

_Emiko looked up sleepily. "Who?"_

_"Us. Your family."_

_Emiko's eyes widened. "No! 'Tachi and Mama and Papa and everyone aren't bad! They're good!"_

_Itachi ruffled her hair. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." He was silent for a moment. "Emiko, you know I've killed people before, right? I killed my entire family. Do you still think I'm a good person?"_

_Emiko nodded her head. "To me, 'Tachi can never be a bad person. 'Tachi is my most precious person in the whole world."_

_Itachi smiled. "I feel the same about you Emiko. You and my little brother are the most precious people in my world. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I won't let anyone hurt you."_

"Sasuke, wake up!"

Emiko quickly shot up from the futon. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, trying to process the sight of Karin standing on top of the paper door, Suigetsu pinned beneath the door on the ground. She looked over at Sasuke and saw he was slowly waking up. Emiko glared at Karin. "Sasu-chan needs his rest. Why are you barging in here like a madwoman?"

Karin glared at Emiko. "We're being followed, that's why!" She turned her gaze back to Sasuke. "What do we do?"

Sasuke slowly sat up. "Get everything together. We're leaving." He looked over at Emiko and pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "Why were you dreaming about him?"

Emiko didn't meet Sasuke's gaze. "I miss him."

Sasuke frowned and stood up, leaving Emiko on the futon. "Juugo, mark all of the Akatsuki hideouts on the map."

Emiko clenched her fist in her lap before bolting out of the room. She ran into the garden in front of the inn they were staying at and sat down in front of a large oak tree. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her knees. What had Sasuke expected her to say. He knew that Itachi was important to her so she couldn't fathom why he would ask questions that he knew he wouldn't like the answer to. She blinked when she felt a hand touching her hair gently. She lifted her head up and looked into the blank onyx orbs of Sasuke. She frowned when she realized that she was crying again. She lifted her hands up to wipe the pesky things from her face but was beaten to the task by Sasuke.

Sasuke gently wiped the tears from Emiko's cheeks. His gaze softened slightly. "I'm…sorry. I shouldn't get angry at you. It's not your fault."

Emiko reached up and hugged Sasuke around his neck. "I don't want you and 'Tachi to fight. I love you both so much, I don't want to lose either of you."

Sasuke returned her hug. "I know."

"Sasuke, you ready to go?" Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin stepped out of the inn.

Sasuke stood up, taking Emiko's hand in his. "Yeah." He looked down at Emiko. "Are you ready?"

Emiko slowly nodded her head. She stood up and allowed Sasuke to lead her out of the inn. She didn't pay much attention to the conversations going on around her.

Sasuke frowned at Emiko's sullen expression. He tugged on her hand and forced her to look at him. He knelt down on one knee, still holding Emiko's hand in his. "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Emiko's eyes widened. The exact same words had been spoken to her years ago by Itachi. She lowered her head and nodded, squeezing Sasuke's hand. "I know." She looked up at him with a determined look. "I won't let anyone hurt you either. I'll protect Sasu-chan with my life!"

Sasuke smiled, relieved to see the fire back in Emiko's eyes. He squeezed her hand and led the Hebi to the first Akatsuki hideout on the map. The group paused in front of a large statue. Sasuke looked down at Emiko. "Wait here."

Emiko held her clenched hands closed to her heart as she watched Sasuke disappear into the darkness. "Please don't be there, 'Tachi."

**You know, the song 'Leave Out All the Rest' by Linkin Park makes me think of Itachi and Emiko. Will Emiko be able to keep her promise to Sasuke? Will Sasuke and Itachi be able to keep their promises to her? Why does Emiko keep dreaming about her mother? If you want to find out, leave reviews please.**


	32. Light of My World, Center of My Universe

**Wahhhh! I don't wanna write this chapter. And somebody stole $100 out of my wallet! I'm super pissed about it!**

_"Walk to Mama, Emiko."_

_"No, come over to Deidei!"_

_"You better not fucking walk over here."_

_A very tiny Emiko cocked her head to the side. There were so many voices talking to her, she didn't know which one to go to. She babbled slightly until she saw __**him**__ walk in. Carefully, she stood up and wobbly made her way to the light of her world, the center of her universe._

_Itachi knelt down on both knees and opened his arms to the small child walking shakily towards him. When she reached him, Itachi enveloped her in his arms. "What a good girl."_

_Emiko giggled and clutched onto Itachi's robe. "'Tachi!"_

_Itachi smiled slightly and stood up, Emiko cradled safely in his arms. "Yes, I'm 'Tachi."_

_Deidara pouted. "Why does she always go to you? You were her first word too. It's not fair." He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed._

_Kisame laughed. "It's because Itachi-san is the one that spoils her the most. Plus, he is the one that found her."_

_"Mine!" Emiko cried out, grabbing onto Itachi's hand._

_Itachi smiled down at Emiko, stroking her hair. "Yes, Emiko. Yours."_

"Emiko, let's go!"

Emiko gasped as she was yanked from her reverie by Suigetsu grabbing her hand. She was dragged forcefully through the cave to where Sasuke stood. She ripped her hand from Suigetsu and ran over to Sasuke. "Sasu-chan, are you okay!?"

Sasuke wrapped one arm loosely around Emiko's shoulder as she hugged him. He frowned at the others. "I told all of you to wait for me."

Suigetsu shrugged. "Karin said she sensed someone else and we decided to come check it out."

Sasuke took Emiko's hand and tugged her back towards the entrance of the cave. "We're leaving here. Let's go."

Emiko looked up at Sasuke. "Was it 'Tachi?"

Sasuke's grip on her hand tightened. "Yes."

Emiko lowered her head and refused to budge another inch. She ignored Sasuke's insistent tugging on her hand. "Please don't fight 'Tachi."

Sasuke sighed. "I'm really sorry, Emiko."

Emiko gasped as she felt a pressure on her neck and then, her world went black.

_Emiko sat on the floor in her room, crying. She rubbed her eyes furiously, trying to stop the flow of tears. It was her fourth birthday and her entire family was gone on missions. They had forgotten all about her. _

_"Emiko, why are you just sitting on your floor in the dark?"_

_Emiko looked up at her door. There, silhouetted by the light of the torches stood her entire world. She stood up and stumbled over to him, tears still rolling down her cheeks. She grabbed onto his robe and buried his face in it. "Everyone forgot me. 'Tachi forgot me."_

_Itachi picked the upset child up and rocked her in his arms. He leaned his forehead against hers. "We didn't forget you. We all came back early from our missions to be with you today. Did you really think we would forget your birthday?"_

_Emiko sniffled and hugged Itachi tightly around his neck. "Yes."_

_Itachi sighed and kissed the top of her head. "We could never forget you. You're our little ray of sunshine. Now," he forced her to look up at him. "you can't go out there crying. You better smile or else you won't get any presents."_

_Emiko's eyes widened and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled brightly. "I want presents!"_

_Itachi laughed and put Emiko on the ground, taking her hand in his. "That's my Emiko."_

_Emiko smiled up at him. "Yeah. I'm your Emiko."_

Emiko slowly opened her eyes as she felt herself being placed gently on the ground. She looked up in time to see Sasuke moving past Kisame and out of her sight. She stood up and immediately ran after him. She growled when Kisame grabbed her arm. "Let me go, 'Same!"

Kisame sighed. "Emiko, you need to stay here. You're not going to want to see that fight."

Emiko struggled. "Let me go! I have to stop them!" She bit Kisame's hand and quickly ran off once he released her. She didn't slow down, not even once she was sure Kisame wasn't following her. She had to stop the fight. She couldn't let either of them die. She refused to lose anymore people.

_"Look what 'Same got me, 'Tachi!"_

_Itachi looked up and hid a smile. "That's very cute, Emiko."_

_Emiko giggled and twirled around, showing off her new dress. It was a light blue dress with straps. The top of the dress had little fish swimming across it. She paused in her twirling and looked at Itachi curiously. "What's your brother like, 'Tachi?"_

_Itachi stiffened. "How did you know I have a brother?"_

_Emiko shuffled her feet nervously. "I went into your room to ask you something and you were sleeping. I heard you saying something about your brother. Did you guys get in a fight or something?"_

_Itachi relaxed slightly. He beckoned Emiko over, letting her crawl into his lap. He wrapped his arms loosely around her and placed his chin on her head. "You could say that. I didn't want to hurt him but I had no choice."_

_Emiko listened quietly. "Maybe you should tell him your sorry. I bet he'll forgive you."_

_Itachi laughed bitterly. "For what I did to him, I don't deserve forgiveness."_

_Emiko frowned and lifted her head up. She held Itachi's face in between her two tiny hands. "'Tachi is a good person. 'Tachi deserves forgiveness for whatever he did."_

_Itachi pulled Emiko close to him. "You'll always forgive me, right? No matter what I do? You'll never hate me?"_

_Emiko hugged Itachi tightly. She didn't like seeing her 'Tachi hurting. "I'll always forgive 'Tachi. And I could never hate my 'Tachi. 'Tachi is the light of my world and the center of my universe."_

_Itachi smiled and kissed Emiko's nose. "The same goes for you, Emiko. No matter what you do, I'll always forgive you. I'll never hate you. You are the light of my world and the center of my universe."_

"What do you see with your sharingan?"

Emiko paused outside the entrance of the Uchiha hideout. She could hear Itachi and Sasuke's voices. Itachi's voice was calm and devoid of any emotion while Sasuke's was laced with anger and hatred. She took a deep breath and ran in. "Stop it!"

Sasuke and Itachi didn't even look up from staring at each other. Itachi was the one that responded to Emiko's plea. "Stay out of this, Emiko."

Emiko glared furiously at the two.. "Stop fighting! You two shouldn't fight! You're brothers!"

Sasuke's furious sharingan eyes flickered over to Emiko. "He's no brother of mine!"

Emiko winced and was about to continue shouting when she felt a hand on her mouth. She looked up, her eyes widening when she saw it was Zetsu.

Zetsu frowned down at Emiko. "You shouldn't be here." The white side said.

"**It's too dangerous here." **Added his black side.

"You shouldn't be seeing any of this, Emiko."

Emiko attempted to struggle from Zetsu, knowing that he was going to knock her out. Her struggles were in vain and she was once again thrown into darkness.

_"Sasu-chan, I wanna go to the park."_

_Sasuke didn't even glance up from the book he was reading. "That's nice."_

_Emiko pouted and climbed onto the couch beside Sasuke. She tugged on his book impatiently. "Please take me to the park, Sasu-chan. I'm bored."_

_Sasuke sighed. "You won't leave me alone unless I take you, will you?"_

_Emiko grinned. "Nope."_

_Sasuke put his book down and stood up. "Well, let's go then."_

_Emiko squealed excitedly and happily followed Sasuke to the park. As soon as they reached the park, Emiko ran over to the swing set. "Push me, Sasu-chan!"_

_"Can't you swing yourself?" Sasuke asked exasperatedly._

_Emiko pouted. "No. Mama and Papa never taught me how."_

_Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked behind Emiko. He grabbed the swing and lifted it high into the air before letting it go. He almost smiled at the high pitch scream Emiko let loose. As the swing came back to him, he held his hand out and gently pushed Emiko back forward._

_Emiko giggled happily. "This is fun, Sasu-chan!"_

_Sasuke smirked. "You better hold on tight."_

_Before Emiko could ask why, she felt Sasuke give her a rough push. She screamed as the swing went higher and higher. She held on tightly, afraid she would fall off. She began crying. "Sasu-chan, stop! I'm scared."_

_Sasuke grabbed the swing to stop it. He walked around so he was in front of Emiko. He frowned when he saw she was really crying. "Stop crying. You're not hurt."_

_Emiko sniffled. "B-but it was scary!" She shakily hopped off the swing and glared up at Sasuke. "I hate you, Sasu-chan!" She ran away from the park, upset. She didn't know why she was so upset at Sasuke but she was. Maybe it was because he had intentionally done something to scare her._

_Emiko found herself sitting on top of the First Hokage's face. She rubbed her eyes, continuing to cry. "Stupid Sasu-chan. You're such a jerk."_

_"There you are."_

_Emiko looked up and quickly looked away once she realized who it was. "Go away, Jerkface."_

_Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're just so creative with your insults." He sat beside her and frowned when he realized she was still crying. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't think you'd get that upset."_

_Emiko looked over at him. "Are you really sorry?"_

_Sasuke sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Yes. Now will you please stop crying?"_

_Emiko grinned and hugged Sasuke. "Okay! I forgive you, Sasu-chan."_

_Sasuke blinked. "Are you bipolar or something?"_

_Emiko giggled. "As long as Sasu-chan apologizes when he hurts me, I'll forgive him 'cause Sasu-chan is one of my most important people. I always forgive my most important people."_

_Sasuke sighed and hugged Emiko. "Let's go home. It's time for dinner."_

_Emiko beamed up at Sasuke. "Can we have ramen?"_

_

* * *

__"You better not let Pein find this."_

_Emiko frowned as she walked into her room. She glared at the person standing beside her bed, holding a photo in his hand. "You shouldn't be snooping in my room, 'Tachi."_

_Itachi held the picture out to Emiko. "You grew close to my brother, didn't you?"_

_Emiko snatched the picture from Itachi, hiding back under her pillow. "Yes."_

_Itachi sighed. He knelt down and grabbed Emiko's shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Forgive me for what I did, Emiko. I didn't want to hurt you or Sasuke but I had no choice. You said you would always forgive me."_

_Emiko bit her lip and looked away. "I-I…"_

_Itachi hugged Emiko close to him. "Please…I don't need the both of you hating me."_

_Emiko sighed and hugged Itachi tightly. Her 'Tachi was never vulnerable and to see him so was heartbreaking for her. "I forgive you, 'Tachi."_

_

* * *

__Emiko was floating in the black abyss that surrounded her. More memories flooded her mind; Itachi taking care of her when she was sick, Sasuke reading her a bedtime story, Itachi holding her after a nightmare, Sasuke training with her, Itachi holding her hand, Sasuke taking a nap with her._

_'Which one?' the words bounce around in the darkness. 'Which one is more important? Which one can you not live without?'_

_"Both." Emiko says to the darkness._

_'You can't have both.' A sinister and familiar voice says to her. It's not Orochimaru's voice, but someone worse. The person that wished for her death, that killed her mother. 'You're such a selfish little girl. Which one will you choose?'_

_Emiko covered her eyes as even more memories filled her mind; Itachi finding her in the grass, Sasuke letting her move in with him, Itachi giving her I-chan, Sasuke protecting her in the Chunin Exam, Itachi taking her out for ice cream, Sasuke taking her to the festival._

_"Both." She whispered again. _

_The voice laughed at her. 'You will suffer. Just as your clan caused my clan to suffer, so shall you. I will take everything from you, everything you hold dear.'_

"No!" Emiko shot up from her sitting position. She looked around at the destruction that surrounded her. She shakily stood up and gasped. Itachi had Sasuke cornered. He reached out to Sasuke with two fingers, poking him in the forehead before collapsing. A moment later, Sasuke collapsed.

Emiko ran over, kneeling between the two brothers. She felt Sasuke's neck and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt a pulse. She turned her attention to Itachi. Tears slowly formed in her eyes. "'Tachi…?"

Itachi slowly turned his dying eyes to the distraught little girl. "Don't look at me like that, Emiko."

Emiko felt more tears spill down her cheeks as Itachi covered her eyes with his bloody hand. "Don't die, 'Tachi! Don't leave me!" She pulled his hand away from her eyes and nuzzled her cheek against his palm.

Itachi laughed weakly, more blood spilling down his chin. "I'm so sorry, Emiko. I never wanted you to see this fight. Can you forgive me?"

Emiko curled her body up beside Itachi, resting her head on his chest. She looked up at him, her onyx eyes watering. "There's nothing to forgive. Please, don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."

Itachi ran his fingers through her long black hair. "You won't be alone. You'll still have Sasuke and the others."

Emiko shook her head. "That's not true! 'Tachi is one my most important people! I don't need anybody else as long as I have 'Tachi. If 'Tachi leaves me, I'll lose a part of myself. I love Sasu-chan, but I love you too!"

"Don't say that." Itachi scolded. "You need to be strong for Sasuke. I need you to take care of him, okay?" Itachi shakily reached inside his cloak, pulling out a familiar stuffed animal. "Look who I found in your closet."

Emiko sniffled and took the small white weasel from Itachi, hugging it close to her chest. "You found I-chan."

Itachi smiled. "Were you really so mad at me when I took you from Sasuke that you wouldn't even keep I-chan?"

Emiko whimpered as Itachi wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "Just hang on, 'Tachi. 'Tsu will be here soon." She frowned when she felt Itachi's arm go limp. "…'Tachi…?" She looked up at his face and more tears fell from her eyes. She sat up, shaking Itachi's shoulders. " Wake up, 'Tachi…Wake up! 'Tachi!" A scream tore from Emiko's lips. "Wake up, 'Tachi! Don't die! Don't leave me, 'Tachi!"

Emiko barely felt the rain that beat against her. She hugged herself, kneeling over Itachi's dead body. "Wake up! I love you, 'Tachi! You're not supposed to leave me!"

"Emiko, stop causing such a scene."

Emiko froze. It was the voice that haunted her in the darkness. She turned around and faced Tobi. More tears fell from her onyx eyes. "Tobi, 'Tachi is…"

Tobi jumped down from his perch atop a rock and knelt in front of Emiko. He pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry, Emiko. Everything will be all right." He glanced over at Zetsu. "Get both of their bodies."

Emiko whimpered as Tobi lifted her up into his arms. "What are you gonna do with Sasu-chan?"

Tobi stroked Emiko's hair soothingly. "Don't worry. We'll heal him. There is so much to tell the two of you. Soon, you will understand everything."

**So…I'm just gonna curl up under my desk and cry now. I literally cried the whole time I was writing this. Hooray for the emo music. The songs I mostly listened to were My Immortal by Evanescence (of course), Leave Out All the Rest by Linkin Park, Apologize by Timbaland, Gomenasai by T.A.T.U, Moonlight Shadow by Groove Coverage, and Blurry by Puddle of Mudd. Well, review and let me know what you thought.**


	33. I'm Sorry

**Happy Birthday BriBri-chan!!! I'm sorry this chapter isn't a super snuggly happy chapter but I dedicate this to you and your turning one year older! **

Emiko sat on the edge of the futon where Sasuke was currently resting. Her eyes were blank, completely devoid of any emotion. After her initial tears from Itachi's death, she had gone completely silent, no emotion showing. She hadn't spoken a word and all she did was hug I-chan. She didn't even move when she felt Sasuke awaken and sit up. She could hear Tobi speaking to Sasuke but she didn't particularly care about what they were talking about. She was startled when Tobi began to take off his mask and suddenly, black flames appeared on Tobi, burning him. She looked up at Sasuke, even more startled by his one eye that had the sharingan activated.

"Sasu-chan…" She whispered softly, reaching up with a tiny hand to wipe the blood dripping down Sasuke's cheek.

Sasuke shoved her hand away, clutching his eye. After a few moments, the pain subsided and he managed to open his eye. He noticed Emiko was still holding her hand out to him, her fingertips covered in his blood. He took her tiny hand in his and glanced over at the darkness. "What was that?"

Tobi stepped out of the darkness, putting his mask back on. "Itachi implanted Amaterasu into you. I wonder if he wanted to kill me with it or simply keep me away from you though." Tobi noticed that Sasuke's attention had once again returned to the silent Emiko. "She's been like that for about an hour now. She's probably in shock from Itachi dying."

Sasuke frowned. "How could I possibly have Itachi's Amaterasu?" His grip on Emiko's hand tightened, his frown deepening when he got no response from the small girl.

Tobi chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? He did it to protect you."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Why would he want to protect me!?"

"Because 'Tachi loved Sasu-chan." Emiko said softly. Her arm holding I-chan tightened. "He always told me how much he loved Sasu-chan and how Sasu-chan would never forgive him. He always said he didn't deserve Sasu-chan's forgiveness."

All of this was spoken in barely a whisper yet Sasuke managed to hear all of it. Sasuke released Emiko's hand, glaring angrily at Tobi. "Whatever bullshit you've been feeding her isn't funny. And if you keep saying that shit, I'm going to kill you."

Tobi held his hands up defensively. "Hey, I'm speaking the truth here. I'm the one that helped him that night. I'm Uchiha Madara."

Sasuke tightened his grip on the blanket covering him. "I don't care what you have to say about Itachi or anything! Just get away from me!"

Tobi looked down at Emiko. "Emiko, dear, you should probably leave. Sasuke and I have some things to talk about. Wait outside."

"Okay." Emiko stood up obediently and walked out of the room. She sat outside the small room. She could hear Sasuke's violent coughing and then the quiet words the two exchanged. She didn't even look up when Tobi opened the door.

"You should come in, Emiko. I have a very important history lesson to teach you and Sasuke."

Emiko stood back up and walked into the room, not even questioning why Sasuke was tied up. She sat beside him silently, looking at Tobi with her dead eyes. "Why do I have to hear this?"

Tobi stood casually in front of the two. "This is the history of both yours and Sasuke's clans. I would think you would want to know about your heritage." Tobi told the two of both the Senju and Uchiha's beginnings. He spoke of his battle with Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, of how the two clans were the strongest in all the nations. He spoke of his brother willingly sacrificing his eyes, of the treaty that caused his brother's sacrifice to be all for nothing.

"You see," Tobi said angrily. "Senju and Uchiha are like oil and water; they don't mix. The fighting continued." He went on to tell about how Konoha was founded, how Hashirama became the First Hokage and all the Uchiha turned their back on Madara. He told the two of his battle with Hashirama at the Valley of End, how he supposedly died there.

Slowly, emotion began returning to Emiko's eyes as Tobi continued the story. She began trembling as Sasuke began accusing Tobi of lying. As Sasuke's screaming increased, so did Emiko's shaking.

Tobi cut the ropes that tied Sasuke together. "Did you know that Itachi had a terrible disease. He had to pump himself full of medicines just to keep himself alive. He did all of this for you, Sasuke. Did you also know that Emiko has the exact same disease as Itachi?"

Emiko looked up at Tobi's face. There was a deep sorrow in her eyes, but no tears. "So, it's my clans fault that Sasu-chan's family died? It's my fault that 'Tachi had to die?"

Tobi looked down at Emiko. "Yes, it is."

* * *

It was a few days later and Team Taka (formally Team Hebi) had joined Akatsuki. Emiko was sitting silently in her room on her floor. She still hadn't cried and her eyes had returned to being devoid of any emotion. She looked down at I-chan lying in front of her. She idly ran her fingers along the Uchiha symbol she had sewn on I-chan's side. She didn't even look up when the door opened.

Tobi shut the door behind him before walking over to where she sat and kneeling in front of her. "Do you want to know a secret, Emiko?"

Emiko blankly looked up at Tobi. "What?"

"Your mother, Senju Haruki, was very good friends with Sasuke's mother. It was actually the 3rd Hokage that suggested the engagement between you and Sasuke. He thought the marriage would finally bring peace. Danzo and the two advisors refused to agree to it though."

"I already knew about my mother being friend's with Sasu-chan's mother." Emiko whispered softly.

Tobi smirked behind his mask. "Do you know anything about your past other than what I've told you?"

Emiko continued running her fingers over the Uchiha symbol. "A little. I've had dreams about my past."

"I bet I know something you don't." Tobi said in a sing song voice. "Your mother was a very kind woman. She desired nothing but peace. It was a surprise to everyone when she became an Anbu. She fell in love with her Anbu leader. Do you know who he was?" Tobi chuckled at Emiko's negative headshake. "Hatake Kakashi was his name. Of course, he was completely oblivious to your mother's love for him."

Emiko said nothing, the news not phasing her in the slightest. "Is that all?"

"Do you know who it was that wanted you dead?"

Emiko looked blankly up at him. "You."

Tobi laughed. "Why would I want you dead? No, it was Danzo and the advisors that desired your death. Your mother infuriated them with her attempts to bring peace between the clans. You're a very special girl, Emiko. Not even those elders of Konoha realize how special you are."

Emiko nodded slowly. "Oh, okay."

Tobi frowned, angered by the lack of response he was getting from the small girl. "It's the Senju clans fault that Itachi died. They used the Uchiha how they pleased and when they had no more use for us, they had us all destroyed." Tobi stood up, walking back over to the door. He turned to look back at Emiko. "Sasuke hates you now, you know. He wants nothing to do with you anymore."

The minute the door clicked shut behind Tobi, Emiko began screaming. She clutched her head tightly as images of Itachi flooded her mind. All of her memories of him came rushing to her. Tears finally fell from her eyes as she began to sob hysterically. She curled up in a tight ball on the floor, clutching I-chan tightly to her. She screamed and cried until her throat was hoarse. After that, she simply continued crying. She calmed down after about an hour, simply lying on the floor, whispering Itachi's name over and over again. "It's all my fault."

Emiko glanced down at the kunai pouch attached to her right leg. She opened it and pulled a kunai out. She held the kunai to her wrist and pressed down.

* * *

"When can I see Emiko?" Sasuke said impatiently, glaring at Tobi as he casually walked back into the room.

Tobi shrugged. "It wouldn't do you much good to see her now. She's like a little doll right now with how emotionless she is."

Sasuke stood up from the chair he was sitting in. "Emiko needs me. She shouldn't be alone in her condition."

"Does she need you or do you need her, Sasuke? Don't forget, Emiko's real name is Senju Seika. She is from the clan that led to Itachi's death."

Sasuke ignored Tobi and walked down the hallway until he found Emiko's room. He knocked softly on the door. "Emiko, can I come in?" He waited a few minutes and when he got no response, he opened the door. "Emiko, I don't blame…you…"

The sight before Sasuke made his blood run cold. Emiko was collapsed on the floor, a pool of blood surrounding her. Limp in her right hand, was a bloody kunai. He could see the cut marks on both of her arms. He stumbled over to her limp body, picking her up in his arms. He ran down the hall as fast as he could. "Karin!"

The remaining Akatsuki and Team Taka were all sitting in the area Sasuke had just been in. Konan was the first to look up. She screamed as Sasuke rushed into the room. "What happened!?"

"Sorry….Sasu…"

Sasuke looked down at Emiko. Her face was pale and the light in her eyes was fading. "Hang on you moron." He looked at Karin. "Do something!"

_Emiko was standing in a small patch of light with nothing but darkness surrounding her. She looked down at her hands and noticed the cuts on both her wrists. "Did I do that?"_

_"What were thinking, Emiko?" A reprimanding voice asked sternly._

_Emiko looked up and felt tears begin falling down her cheeks. "Danna…"_

_Sasori stood before her, an angry frown plastered on his face. "How could you hurt yourself like that?"_

_Emiko whimpered and reached out to Sasori. "It's really you, Danna." She began to take a step forward._

_"Don't move another inch, Emiko!" Sasori snapped. He sighed when he saw the confused and hurt face on Emiko. "If you leave that circle of light, you won't have a chance of returning to the world of the living."_

_"I don't wanna go back!" Emiko cried. "All of my precious people keep dying! It's my fault my most precious person is dead!"_

_"Hey, don't say things like that, Chibi-chan, un." Deidara now stood beside Sasori. _

_"Yeah." Hidan was now there, looking pissed off. "You need to stay alive so you can annoy the hell out of other people besides me."_

_Kakazu appeared, smacking Hidan in the head. "We raised you better than this, Emiko."_

_More tears fell from Emiko's eyes. "I don't want to live in a world without all of you, in a world where Sasu-chan hates me."_

_"Sasuke doesn't hate you, Emiko."_

_Emiko looked up again. The others had disappeared and now, there was only Itachi. She started to take a step and paused only when Itachi held his hand up. "Why can't I be with you, 'Tachi!? Do you hate me too!? Is it because I'm a Senju!?"_

_Itachi walked over to the circle of light, kneeling just at it's edge. "You can't be with me because Sasuke needs you. You need to help him choose the right path, Emiko. Don't let him destroy himself. I could never hate you. You are just as precious to me as Sasuke is. You being a Senju has nothing to do with anything. Don't let Madara trick you. You had nothing to do with the events that happened. Don't blame yourself for what happened. I have no regrets. Please wake up, for all of your family that has died and is still alive sake. If not for their sake, then do it for Sasuke. If you won't do it for him, then do it for me. I want to see you grow up into a beautiful, strong kunochi. Please…"_

"….wake up…"

Emiko slowly opened her eyes, staring at the white ceiling above her. She slowly turned her head to the side to see who had whispered so softly. She reached out with her bandaged left arm towards the person. "Sasu-chan, what's wrong?"

Sasuke's hanging head shot up, surprise and relief washing over his face. He grasped Emiko's hand in his, before pulling her small body out of the bed and into his lap. He hugged her tightly to him. "You moron. What were you thinking!? How could you do something so stupid?"

Emiko began to cry. "Tobi said you hated me and that you wanted nothing to do with me. I didn't want to live in a world without Itachi and Sasuke so I…I…" She broke off as a hiccup escaped her mouth. She buried her face in Sasuke's chest. "Please don't hate me, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke forced Emiko to look up at him. "I don't hate you. I don't blame you for anything. I blame Konoha. You loved Itachi just as much as I did. Please, don't ever do something like that ever again."

Emiko nodded her head slowly. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sleepy, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke gently laid the small Senju girl back in her bed. "Get some more sleep. You lost a lot of blood."

Emiko's hand shot up and grabbed Sasuke's sleeve. "You'll stay, right? You won't disappear if I close my eyes?"

Sasuke carefully squeezed Emiko's hand. "I'll stay." He watched Emiko slowly drift off to sleep. He moved a few strands of her black hair from her face, frowning. Tobi had told him that the Konoha elders were the ones that wished for Emiko's death, which made no sense to him. She was one of the last Senju and should therefore be very important to Konoha. Tobi wasn't telling him the whole story about Emiko. Regardless, Sasuke would have his revenge on Konoha. He would destroy the village that had killed his brother and nothing was going to stand in his way.

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Once again, I'm super sorry that this is such an emo chapter on your birthday, BriBri-chan! Luckily, next week's chapter will be slightly emo-funny (if that even makes sense) so look forward to that. My poor little Emiko is all confused and hurt. Review and let me know what you thought!**


	34. Chapter 34

**I'm so sorry I made everyone so sad!! Unfortunately for poor Emiko-chan, things probably are going to get a lot worse before they get any better.**

**I also apologize for taking so long to update.**

Emiko shifted in her sleep. She was warm, uncomfortably so. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. She turned over onto her other side so she was facing her personal heater. "Sasu-chan, I want to get up."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open at the meek voice beside him. He hugged Emiko tightly. "How are you feeling?"

Emiko absentmindedly ran her right hand over her bandaged left wrist. "I saw 'Tachi."

Sasuke sat up, pulling Emiko into his lap. "Did you now?"

Emiko nodded. "He told me to take care of you; to protect you. He got mad at me for what I did to myself. 'Tachi made me promise not to do it again." Emiko held Sasuke's hand in hers, playing with his fingers.

A small smile twitched at the corner of Sasuke's mouth. "You did that the first time we met. Do you remember?"

Emiko gave Sasuke a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah. I called you Cockatoo-san."

"Are you okay, Emiko!?" Konan ran into the room, yanking Emiko from Sasuke's lap. She held Emiko close to her, cooing softly to her. "Don't you ever do something like that ever again! If you do I'll…I'll…I'll ground you!"

Emiko hugged Konan tightly. "I'm sorry I made you worry, Mama."

"Hey, Emiko's awake!" Suigetsu bounded into the room, smoothing Emiko's hair down. "How're you feeling?"

Emiko smiled again, the same smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm okay now."

For the rest of the day, Emiko was kept under constant surveillance by everyone. She wasn't even allowed to use the bathroom without Konan standing in the doorway. Emiko didn't mind. In fact, she barely noticed anything around her. She carried I-chan everywhere with her, always holding him close to her heart.

Everyone tried to cheer her up. Suigetsu made sure to annoy Karin and Karin actually played along. Juugo attempted to coax Emiko outside to help him feed the birds. Kisame tried to take Emiko swimming while Konan hoped to bring a smile to the depressed girl by painting. Pein said nothing, nor did he try to comfort Emiko. He was, however, constantly there, watching her and making sure Emiko had everything she could need.

"I want Emiko to go with Sasuke and his team." Tobi said casually.

Konan leapt up from her chair. "That's too dangerous!" She glared over at Pein. "You can't possibly allow Emiko to go with them to get the eight tails."

Pein shrugged. "Emiko seemed fine with the idea."

Konan felt like strangling the emotionless man. "Of course she seemed fine. She's seemed fine for the past week. Pein, she could die."

"It's okay, Mama." Emiko wandered in after hearing Konan's angry voice. "I want to go. Besides, it doesn't matter if I die; I'm already dead on the inside."

Konan frowned at Pein and glared angrily at Tobi. She walked over to Emiko and scooped her up in her arms, carrying her out of the room. She stormed down the hallway until she reached Kisame's room. She banged on the door until the shark man answered. "Watch Emiko for a few minutes."

Kisame blinked as Konan shoved Emiko into his arms. He grinned down at Emiko as Konan stormed off. "So, I hear you get to go on a big mission."

Emiko nodded her head. "Yeah. Tobi wants me to go with Sasu-chan to get the eight tails guy."

"You hanging in there?" Kisame asked.

Emiko nodded. "Yeah. I don't really feel anything right now. I feel kinda…empty."

Kisame sat her on the ground, patting her head affectionately. "You really miss him, don't you?"

Emiko nodded. "Yeah…"

Sasuke walked in at that moment. "Come on, Emiko. We need to leave."

Kisame kneeled down and hugged Emiko tightly. "You be careful out there, Emi. Don't do anything stupid that would make him mad at you."

Emiko smiled her empty smile and took Sasuke's hand. She allowed him to lead her out of the hideout and towards their target.

**This chapter is kinda short and I'm not exactly thrilled with it. But, I figured since I haven't updated in a month, I would try and get something out. Thank you all for your continual patience and support. **


	35. All I Want for Christmas

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! This weeks chapter is going to be a flashback to Emiko's memories of Christmas.**

"Mama, Santa came!"

Konan groaned at the feeling of someone very tiny bouncing up and down on her bed. She opened her eyes and smiled at the excited, three year old Emiko bouncing on her bed. She sat up and ruffled Emiko's hair. "Go wake everyone up and we'll open presents."

Emiko squealed and ran out of the rooms. The next room she went to was Hidan's. She pounced on the unsuspecting Jashin worshiper, laughing at the string of curses that flew from Hidan's mouth. She ran out before any bodily harm could be done to her, going from room to room until everyone but her favorite person was awake. She tiptoed into the room, coming to stand beside the bed. "It's Christmas, 'Tachi." Emiko whispered quietly.

Itachi opened his eyes, a small smile appearing on his face. He sat up and picked Emiko from the ground, plopping her in his lap. "Merry Christmas, Emiko."

Emiko hugged Itachi tightly. "Merry Christmas, 'Tachi."

"You better get your ass in here, Brat, or else I'm going to open your presents!"

Emiko howled in rage and wriggled out of Itachi's grip, running into the main room. She tackled Hidan and began pulling on his hair. "Don't touch my presents!"

"Get this fucking brat off of me!" Hidan howled furiously.

Itachi walked into the room and pulled Emiko off of Hidan, sitting down on the couch with Emiko in his lap. "Be good, Emiko."

Konan smiled softly before pushing a large pile of presents over to Emiko. "These are all yours."

Emiko squealed and reached out for her first present. She paused before tearing into the wrapping paper to see who the present was from. She looked carefully at the name before looking at Itachi. "Who's name is it?"

Itachi pointed to the first letter. "It starts with an H. Try and sound it out."

"H-Hi-d-an." She grinned up at Itachi. "It's from Hi-chan!"

Emiko proceeded to tear through each and every present she received. She got new dresses, new toys, and plenty of stuffed animals to keep I-chan company. She laughed when Konan threw Pein an angry glare when she saw the sharp kunai he had given Emiko. Once she was done opening all her presents, Emiko hopped down from Itachi's lap. "Everyone, stay!" She ran out of the room and came back a few moments later. She carried presents messily wrapped in her arms. She went to each member of Akatsuki, handing them each a present.

"May we open them, Emiko?" Konan asked, smiling at the excited little girl.

"You have to open them one at a time." Emiko stated, plopping herself back in Itachi's lap. "Hi-chan, you open yours first."

Hidan reluctantly opened his present, growling when he pulled out a bar of soap. "What the fuck is this for?"

"It's to help you clean your potty mouth." Emiko said proudly.

Zetsu was next, slowly opening his present. Both sides smiled when they saw the small, four leaf clover. "Where did you get this?" the white side asked.

"I found it in the forest." Emiko grinned.

Kisame couldn't help laughing when he opened his present of canned sardines. Deidara leapt up and hugged Emiko tightly when he saw the cute clay sculpture of himself that Emiko had made. Sasori smiled at the crude wooden puppet that Emiko had carved. Tobi squealed excitedly at the bouncy ball he received. Kakuzu was happy that Emiko gave him 100 ryo until he went to put it in his wallet and realized it was **his** 100 ryo. Pein was pleased with the new body piercings that he got and Konan beamed at the gorgeous origami paper Emiko had bought for her.

Finally, it was Itachi's turn. He blinked when he was handed a very tiny box. He looked at Emiko's expectant face, before carefully unwrapping the small box. He opened the lid and carefully lifted the small necklace out of the box. It was a simple black chain with three silver circles spaced out on the necklace.

Emiko looked down, kicking her feet nervously. "I didn't know what you would like and so I made it for you."

Itachi hugged Emiko tightly. "Thank you, Emiko. I'll wear it everyday."

* * *

"I look stupid, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke looked up and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. "You don't look stupid. It suits you."

Four year old Emiko pouted, tugging on the long white dress she wore. The long sleeves covered her tiny hands and she wore a white pair of sandals. A pair of white angel wings were strapped to her back and a golden halo was attached to her head. "Do I have to do this?"

Sasuke stood up from the couch, walking over and scooping Emiko up into his arms. "You agreed to help the Academy with their Christmas program."

Emiko crossed her arms over her chest. "I didn't think they'd make me sing a solo." She looked fearfully up at Sasuke. "Are there going to be a lot of people there?"

Sasuke shrugged and walked out of the house, making sure to lock the door. "Probably. All of the Rookie Nine and Lee's team are coming since you're going to be singing." He sighed when he saw the terrified look on Emiko's face. "Don't worry. You'll be fine. After the program, we're going to Shikamaru's house for the Christmas party."

Sasuke carried Emiko all the way to the Academy, handing the terrified girl over to Iruka. He then went into the auditorium and found a seat in the front row. Soon, he had Naruto and Sakura on either side of him. The lights dimmed and the curtains drew back, revealing all of the Academy students standing on high rises with Emiko standing at the very front and center of the stage.

Emiko couldn't see anything. All she saw were shadows of people in the audience. She began trembling, completely forgetting what she was supposed to sing. Then, she saw him. She leapt off the stage and into the lap of the unsuspecting Sasuke.

Iruka came out onto the stage then, trying to keep himself from joining in the laughter of the crowd. "Why don't you come up here with her, Sasuke?"

Sasuke growled before reluctantly standing up and walking onto the stage, Emiko curled up in his arms. He walked into the spotlight and lifted the microphone up to Emiko's mouth. "Do you want me to hold it or do you?"

Emiko carefully took the microphone from Sasuke. She looked out at the crowd and began singing softly. _"__I don't want a lot for Christmas/ There's just one thing I need /  
I don't care about the presents /Underneath the Christmas tree/ I just want you for my own/ More than you could ever know /Make my wish come true /All I want for Christmas is... You…."_

The entire audience cheered and clapped as Emiko finished her song. Naruto jumped onto the stage and yanked Emiko from Sasuke's arms. "You were awesome, Emiko!"

Emiko giggled and hugged Naruto tightly. "Are we gonna go to the Christmas party now?"

Sasuke took Emiko back from Naruto. "We have to go back to the house and get the presents."

Sakura had now joined the group on the stage. "You got me a present, Sasuke-kun?"

"No." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Emiko made everyone presents, including you."

"Oh." Sakura said with a slight edge of disappointment. She quickly shook it off and smiled at Emiko. "Thank you, Emiko."

Emiko grinned. "You're welcome, Pinky-san. She tugged on Sasuke's hair. "Hurry up, Sasu-chan! I wanna go to the party."

Sasuke put Emiko down, holding her hand in his as they walked through the snow covered streets of Konoha. Emiko tugged insistently on Sasuke's hand, dragging him to the house. She practically kicked the door down and grabbed all the wrapped presents, tossing some at Sasuke for him to carry. The two then went back out into the cold, Emiko still in her angel costume.

"It's about time you two got here." Naruto beamed at the two as they made their way into the Nara's living room.

Emiko put all of her presents under the tree. She blinked, looking around curiously. "Is Pervy-san here?"

Sakura looked up briefly from attempting to push Sasuke under the mistletoe. "No. This is a party for us genin, and chunin." She added quickly, looking over at Shikamaru.

Emiko looked thoughtfully down at the present she had bought for Kakashi. She shoved Sakura out of the way and stood in front of Sasuke. "Can I take this to Pervy-san?"

Before Sasuke could respond, Naruto had lifted Emiko up and shoved her into his arms. "What the hell, Dobe!?"

Naruto laughed and pointed above the furious Uchiha and confused child. "You have to kiss Emiko."

Emiko and Sasuke both looked up to see the small, offensive plant dangling above them. Sasuke rolled his eyes and gave Emiko a quick peck on the cheek. Emiko glanced over at the furious Sakura before an evil idea came to her mind. She leaned in and quickly kissed Sasuke on the lips.

Naruto howled with laughter at the shocked look on both Sasuke and Sakura's faces. Emiko wriggled out of the stunned Uchiha's grip and skipped out of the house towards Kakashi's apartment. She skipped happily up the stairs to the fourth floor, knocking on Kakashi's door quickly.

Kakashi slowly opened the door, blinking at the sight of Emiko dressed as an angel standing on his doorstep. "What are you doing here, Emiko-chan? Shouldn't you be at the party?"

Emiko held her wrapped present up to Kakashi. "I wanted to give you your Christmas present."

Kakashi took the messily wrapped present, smiling brightly at Emiko. "Thank you, Emiko-chan."

Emiko rocked nervously back and forth on her heels. "Open it!"

"Why don't you come inside. I'll give you your present and then I'll open mine." Kakashi smiled as Emiko happily bounded into his apartment.

Emiko plopped herself down on the small couch in the living room, beaming up at Kakashi. "Why'd you get me a present?"

Kakashi sat next to her, still holding the present she had given him in his hand. "I just thought so a sweet girl like you deserved a present." He put his present down on the couch and walked into his room, coming out a moment later with a small, neatly wrapped box. He sat back down beside Emiko, handing her the present. "Go ahead and open it."

Emiko tore into the paper, looking curiously up at Kakashi when the paper revealed a plain, square white box. When Kakashi nodded at her, she lifted the lid and gasped. She pulled a small golden locket on a golden chain out of the box. The locket was in the shape of an oval, with a small key hole in the front. Emiko frowned as she attempted to open the locket. "It won't open."

Kakashi smiled. "Do you want to know what's inside the locket?" He smiled at Emiko's rapid nod. "It's a picture of you, your mother, and your father."

"Where's the key!?" Emiko cried urgently.

Kakashi chuckled. "I'll give you a hint; your mother gave it to you years ago."

Emiko pouted. "That's not a very good hint." Emiko decided she'd figure it out later. "Open your present, Papa!"

Kakashi blinked. "Papa?"

Emiko's eyes widened and she blushed slightly. "Sorry, Kakashi-san. It just kinda slipped out. I miss my Papa."

Kakashi smiled before hugging Emiko. "It's okay." He opened his present, stunned when he saw what it was. "How did you get this?"

Emiko grinned. "I told the lady at the bookstore that it was for you and she gave it to me."

Kakashi laughed nervously at the latest copy of Icha Icha Paradise that now lay in his lap. "You better get back to the party."

"Yeah." Emiko put the locket on before hopping off the couch. "Merry Christmas, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi smiled as he watched the small girl run out of his apartment. "Merry Christmas, Seika."

* * *

Emiko kept her eyes shut, wanting to stay in her dream world. Her memories of the past comforted her and kept her from remembering what was going on in her present. She frowned when she felt someone shaking her.

"Emiko, you need to wake up." A familiar and much loved voice whispered to her. "I need you to take care of Sasuke. It's time to wake up."

Emiko's eyes shot open. There was no one in her room. She looked over to the empty side of her bed. She reached out and gasped when she felt how warm the spot was, like someone had been lying there. She buried her face in the pillow on the empty side of the bed and her eyes widened. She would recognize that scent anywhere. Tears formed in her eyes. "…'Tachi…"

She sat up and looked over at her bedside table where her locket and charm bracelet were. She blinked curiously when she saw a white piece of paper resting on top of her charm bracelet. She picked the paper up and read the writing scrawled on the paper.

_The key._

That was all it said. Emiko looked over at her charm bracelet. She picked it up in her right hand and held her locket in her left hand. She inspected her bracelet, noticing that the stem of the Konoha leaf was tiny enough to fit into the keyhole of her locket. She carefully placed the Konoha leaf stem into the keyhole, turning it slightly to the right and grinning when she heard the click. Slowly, she opened her locket, gasping when she saw the picture. Tears formed in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away when she heard her door opening. She closed her locket, frowning when she saw Tobi walk into her room.

"It's time for you and Sasuke's team to go on your mission." Tobi said, casually.

Emiko nodded before putting both her bracelet and locket on. Something inside her told her not to mention Itachi's scent on her pillow or who her father really was. She had to talk to Sasuke, alone.

**So, it's 12:42 on Christmas Day and I've finally finished wrapping all of my families presents and writing this chapter. Could Itachi really be alive? Who is Emiko's father? Review and ye shall receive answers.**_  
_


	36. Attack

**I'm sleepy. The Naruto anime is doing fillers AGAIN! I hate fillers with an undying passion. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.**

"Now, if Emiko starts complaining about her throat hurting, give her these pills." Konan waved a pill bottle with light green pills in front of Sasuke's face before dropping them into Sasuke's travel bag. "If she starts coughing up blood, she needs these red pills. She needs to take the blue pills every 6 hours. If she starts having an attack you need to inject this into her thigh." Konan held up a bag with the medicine and syringes inside. "Do NOT let her know that you have the syringes. If she finds out that you have them, she'll try to get rid of them."

Sasuke nodded slowly, absorbing all the information that Konan was giving him. "Is it really okay for her to go on this mission?"

Konan hesitated, busying herself with packing a small travel bag for Emiko. "Yes, it's fine. Pein wants her to go on this mission. Sasuke," Konan looked pleadingly up at the youngest Uchiha. "please take care of Emiko. She's devastated about Itachi's death and something else is bothering her, I just know it. She won't tell me what it is but maybe she'll tell you."

"I'll see what I can do." Sasuke took the bag of Emiko's medicine from Konan. "What exactly does Emiko have?"

"We're not sure what it is. It's the same disease that Itachi had. There's no known cure for it. All we can do is give her medicine to slow down the disease and ease her pain."

"So she's dying!?" Sasuke practically screeched. "You want me to take her on a dangerous mission and she's dying of an unknown illness. How cold hearted can you be?!"

Konan growled, grabbing Sasuke by the front of his shirt. "Look, I'm not thrilled about the idea of her going on this mission. For whatever reason, Madara wants her to go on this mission and Pein agreed. I…" Konan trailed off, biting her lip, her eyes becoming moist. "I don't want her to go. I don't want anything to happen to her. She's my baby. I love her like a daughter. I don't know what Madara wants from her. Please, take care of my baby for me."

Sasuke stepped back from Konan, picking up Emiko's travel bag. "I'll take care of her. I won't let anything happen to her."

Konan smiled sadly and bowed slightly to Sasuke. "Thank you. Can you please send Emiko in so I can say goodbye to her?" She watched as Sasuke left the room.

Emiko walked slowly into the room. "You wanted to see me, Mama?"

Konan kneeled down, opening her arms up to Emiko. She smiled and cooed softly when Emiko stepped into her arms. She wrapped the small girl into a tight embrace. "I want you to be careful. Stay close to Sasuke and don't do anything risky." Konan was surprised when Emiko smiled and this time, her eyes sparkled.

"I'll be careful, Mama." Emiko hugged Konan back before running out of the room. She clutched tightly at the golden locket around her neck. On her right wrist was the charm bracelet that Granny Cat had given her.

"Hurry up, Emiko!" Suigetsu shouted down the hallway. "We'd like to start this mission sometime this century."

Emiko ran over to the group, rolling her eyes at Suigetsu. "You're such a drama queen, Sui-chan."

Karin raised an eyebrow. "You seem awfully cheerful today."

"Do I?" Emiko skipped over to Sasuke, taking his hand in hers. "Let's go!"

"Wait, Emiko!" Konan ran over to the group, clutching something close to her chest. "I want you to wear this."

Emiko took the cloth from Konan and gasped when she saw what it was. "My own Akatsuki cloak." She beamed as she put the cloak on, twirling around to show it off to everyone.

Konan smiled. "I made it for you the other night. I thought that since you were going on your first mission for Akatsuki, that you should have an Akatsuki cloak."

Sasuke tugged on Emiko's hand. "It's time to go."

Emiko waved goodbye to Konan, smiling as Sasuke dragged her away. "So, what's our mission?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You didn't bother asking what the mission was?"

Emiko huffed. "I figured you'd tell me."

"We have to retrieve the eight tails host." Juugo said softly.

"We're going to hurt someone?"

Sasuke sighed, scooping Emiko up into his arms. "Emiko, we're ninja. It's what we do."

Emiko fiddled with her cloak. "I know that…" Her head shot up, colliding with Sasuke's nose. "Sasu-chan, I need to talk to you!"

Sasuke rubbed his nose, growling. "Start talking."

"No! I need to talk to you alone!"

Sasuke sighed before signaling to the group to stop. "I'll be right back." He led Emiko away from the others. When they were a good distance from the others, he put Emiko down. "What is it?"

Emiko fiddled with her locket. "I know who my Daddy is." She opened her locket and showed the picture to Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked at the picture. "You're sure it's him?"

Emiko nodded her head before closing her locket. "Also, I don't think 'Tachi is dead."

"Emiko, he died. You were there." Sasuke's eyes hardened, his voice becoming strained.

"I know what I saw but…when I woke up this morning the place beside me was warm and it smelled like 'Tachi."

Sasuke rubbed his temples. "Emiko, I stayed with you last night, remember? You had the nightmare about somebody trying to kill you and you didn't want to be alone."

Emiko shook her head, becoming frustrated. "It was 'Tachi's scent though! He left me the note telling me that the key to my locket was my charm bracelet! And it wasn't just somebody trying to kill me, it was Madara! I already told you that!"

"Emiko!" Sasuke grabbed her shoulders, resisting the urge to shake the small child. "Itachi is dead! He died fighting me! You have to accept it and move on. As for Madara trying to kill you, he told me that it was the council of Konoha that wanted you dead, not him."

Tears fell from Emiko's eyes, her frustration peaking. "But…it was 'Tachi's smell. I know it was. Madara's the one that wants me dead. He hates my family." She looked pleadingly up at Sasuke. "Why won't you believe me?"

Sasuke sighed, releasing his grip on Emiko. "You've been really stressed out the past few days. You probably just dreamed all of it."

"It wasn't a dream! 'Tachi was really there!"

"That's enough, Emiko!"

Emiko flinched away from Sasuke. She pushed his hand away that was trying to wipe her tears away. She ran back over to where the group was. She ran straight to Juugo, climbing up him and hugging him tightly around his neck.

Juugo raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He wrapped his arms under her to support the small girl. He looked questioningly at Sasuke. He was startled when he heard Emiko coughing violently and then felt something wet on his shoulder. "Emiko?"

Emiko kept her head down, trying to wipe the blood off of her chin. "I'm okay."

Juugo looked down at his shoulder. "Emiko, that's blood on my shoulder."

"What!?" Sasuke grabbed Emiko from Juugo, his frown deepening at the sight of blood dribbling down the young girl's chin. "Suigetsu, get me the red pills, now!"

"I…I'm okay…" Emiko coughed up more blood before she began convulsing.

"Suigetsu, get me a syringe, now!" Sasuke held Emiko's shoulders down. "Emiko…Emiko! Emiko, stay with me! Suigetsu, where the hell is the syringe!"

"I've got it!" Suigetsu ran over to Sasuke, holding the syringe out to him.

Sasuke pushed Emiko's cloak and dress up, exposing her thigh. He grabbed the syringe from Suigetsu. "Suigetsu, I need you to hold her still."

"Sasuke, maybe you should let Karin do that." Juugo said quietly. "You're trembling."

"Suigetsu, hold her!"

Suigetsu did as he was told, holding Emiko's shoulders down. "Emiko, baby girl, hold on." He cooed softly.

Sasuke held Emiko's leg down and quickly shoved the syringe into Emiko's leg. He injected the medicine into Emiko's leg. He watched as her convulsing slow down and then, the young girl stilled. He gently placed two fingers against her neck, checking for a pulse. "She's alive."

"Sasuke, are you okay?" Suigetsu asked.

Sasuke looked down. Emiko's onyx eyes were shut and on her cheeks, were little water droplets; his tears. "I'm sorry…" He tenderly picked her up. "Hurry up. We need to find a good campsite before it gets dark."

The other three hesitated before following their determined leader. Sasuke ignored them, focused solely on the small girl in his arms. She was breathing softly now, as though the attack had never happened. "I'm so sorry, Emiko. It's my fault that you had that attack."

Emiko whimpered and shifted in Sasuke's arms. "'Tachi…"

Sasuke frowned. "Emiko, he's dead. You need to let it go."

Hazy onyx eyes opened halfway. "Sasu-chan…"

"Go back to sleep. You've had a rough day." Sasuke whispered softly.

"Sasu-chan, I'm sorry that I upset you."

Sasuke laughed bitterly. "You don't need to apologize. I'm sorry for upsetting you."

Emiko smiled. "It's okay." She closed her eyes, snuggling into Sasuke's chest. "I love you, Sasu-chan."

"I love you too." Sasuke stopped so that the others could catch up to him. The wheels in his mind were turning. Itachi was dead. He had seen him die. But, why would Emiko lie about something like that. Did Madara really want Emiko did or was it the council of Konoha? He shook his head. Right now, he needed to focus on the mission; capturing the Eight Tails.

**So, I'm really tired and I have a headache. It sucks. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Who is it that really wants Emiko dead? Who is Emiko's father? Will I ever reveal these answers to you? You'll eventually find out…maybe…**


	37. The Eight Tails

**I don't wanna go back to work! It's been nice having a vacation and not dealing with screaming parents and whiney coworkers. Oh well…at least I don't have to go back to school until the 20****th****!**

**Ivvy-sama: Yes, I have! I'm so mad at Kishimoto now. We should all write an angry letter to him.**

"I want waffles."

Karin rolled her eyes. "We don't have waffles, Emiko."

Emiko glared at the older girl. "I want waffles!"

"We. Don't. Have. Waffles." Karin growled out through clenched teeth.

"Where's Sasu-chan?" Emiko pouted. She really wanted waffles and the evil witch was holding out on her, she just knew it.

"Sasuke and the others are out scouting. You're stuck here with me until they come back." Karin growled at the furious face on Emiko's face. "Hey, I'm not thrilled about it either! You think I want to be stuck here with a pipsqueak like you!?"

Emiko sighed and stood up. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

"Don't go too far. Sasuke will kill me if you get lost."

Emiko shrugged and skipped away from the campsite, her Akatsuki robe lying beside Karin. She needed to get away, to clear her mind. After her attack yesterday, Emiko had awoken in Sasuke's arms, her leg stinging from where the syringe had pierced her. She hadn't brought up Itachi or Madara with Sasuke when he awoke, realizing that Sasuke was solely focused on destroying Konoha now. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going, she just let her feet lead her.

She tensed as she suddenly felt an amazing chakra just ahead of her. She looked up and saw that she now stood in front of a large stone carving of what looked like a dragon in the face of a large mountain. On top of the dragon is what appeared to be an entrance of some sort. She blinked as a strange man came out of the entrance, the man cursing.

"You sound like Hi-chan!" Emiko giggled.

The man looked at her. "Who are you, kid? Don't you know it's dangerous out here?"

"It's okay. I'm just taking a walk." Emiko approached the strange man, extending her hand to him. "I'm Senju Emiko. Who are you?"

The man took her hand and shook it vigorously. "I'm Killer Bee. It's nice to meet you Ms. Senju."

Emiko giggled in glee. "It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Killer Bee." She looked around curiously. "What are you doing out here all by yourself. Aren't you lonely?"

Killer Bee laughed. "No, I'm not lonely. You see, Ms. Senju, I'm a ninja and I'm out here training."

"Really? I'm a ninja too!"

Killer Bee raised an eyebrow. "You seem awfully young to be a ninja. Aren't you in an academy or something?"

"Nope. I never went to an academy. My family taught me everything." Emiko said proudly.

"Emiko, what are you doing here? I told you to stay with Karin."

Emiko turned around and grinned. "Hi, Sasu-chan. This is my new friend, Mr. Killer Bee."

Sasuke looked at Killer Bee. "Are you the host of the Eight-Tail Beast?"

Killer Bee smirked. "That's Mr. Host and Mr. Eight-Tail Beast, Brat. You should learn some manners like little Ms. Senju here."

"I can't leave you alone without you getting into trouble, can I, Emiko?" Sasuke sighed. "Get over here right now."

"Listen to your friend, Ms. Senju. Get out of the way." Killer Bee nudged Emiko back towards Sasuke and the others.

Once Emiko was within reach of Sasuke, he pushed her to stand behind him. "You will stay out of the way, Emiko. Suigetsu, you go right. Juugo, you go left. Karin, watch my back."

Emiko watched Sasuke and Suigetsu charge at Killer Bee. Her eyes widened at the large cloud of dust that appeared. "Did they kill him?"

"No," Karin murmured. "I can still feel his chakra."

Juugo was the next to attempt an attack on Killer Bee. He was quickly disposed of and Killer Bee began dancing and rapping. While Karin and Suigetsu looked at Killer Bee oddly, Emiko giggled and clapped her hands to the beat.

Suigetsu frowned. "Is this guy really the Eight-Tails?"

"He did manage to steal your sword, Sui-chan." Emiko pointed out. "Ouch!" Emiko squealed as Suigetsu hit her in the head, digging his fist into the top of her head. "I'm sorry, Sui-chan!"

"Hey, be nice to the kid now. What's she ever done to you?" Killer Bee kept his eye on Sasuke, whom was now approaching him.

Juugo backed up to stand beside Karin and the others, clutching his arm tightly. He blinked when he felt small arms wrap around his legs. He looked down into the worried eyes of Emiko. "I'm okay, Emiko."

Emiko smiled. "Good."

"So, who are you guys? Why do you wanna capture me?" Killer Bee asked, the smirk still plastered to his face.

"You don't need to know that." Sasuke said in a monotone voice.

"Sasuke," Suigetsu whined. "hurry up and beat him so we don't have to listen to his rapping."

"Aw," Emiko pouted. "I like his rapping. It's cool."

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow. "Clearly we have different views of what is cool and what isn't."

"Yeah." Emiko agreed. "Too bad for you I'm right and you're wrong."

Suddenly, Sasuke and Killer Bee were fighting, Sasuke with his sword and Killer Bee with Suigetsu's. Emiko was barely able to keep up with what was going on. She gasped as Suigetsu's sword flew through the air and back into Suigetsu's hand.

Killer Bee pulled out seven swords, smirking confidently at Sasuke. The two began fighting, none of the others able to track their moves. Sasuke was thrown back by the force of Killer Bee's attacks. Sasuke jumped up, charging his sword with chidori, lunging at Killer Bee. He was shocked when Killer Bee managed to block his attack.

Emiko screamed as Sasuke was stabbed by Killer Bee's swords. "Sasuke!" Emiko ran over to Sasuke, covering his body with her tiny one as Killer Bee's sword swung down. She looked up when she felt no impact and saw that Suigetsu was blocking Killer Bee with his sword. She flinched as Killer Bee's sword began to slice through Suigetsu's sword.

"Emiko, move." Sasuke managed to groan out.

Emiko shook her head, gasping as her and Sasuke were suddenly being dragged across the ground. She looked up to see Karin dragging Sasuke by his hood. She smiled shakily at Karin. "Thanks, Karin-san."

Karin shrugged. "I was trying to save Sasuke and you happened to be attached to him. Hurry up and get off of him. Help me get these swords out."

Emiko helped to pull one of Killer Bee's swords out of Sasuke. Her lower lip trembled as she took in Sasuke's appearance. "Karin-san, save Sasuke!" Tears were falling down her cheeks. She didn't want to lose another precious person. She was tired of seeing so many people die. She turned her furious glare to Killer Bee and leapt up, charging at the distracted Host.

"Ichijinnokaze Toujin!" Emiko attacked Killer Bee with her twin wind blades, frowning as he easily blocked them.

"Aw, I thought we were friends, Ms. Senju." Killer Bee grinned.

Emiko's glare was hateful, full of anger and unshed tears. "I can never be friends with somebody that hurts my precious people. I'll never forgive you for hurting Sasuke!"

"That's too bad."

Emiko surprised both Killer Bee and herself when her tiny voice screamed out. "Chimamire Kyoufuu(1)!"

Killer Bee stumbled back as a strong wind surrounded him and began cutting him. He charged his chakra and dispelled the raging wind away from himself. He laughed. "That's pretty amazing, Ms. Senju. You got anymore tricks?"

Suigetsu charged at Killer Bee, allowing Killer Bee to punch him and trapping Killer Bee's arm. "Sasuke, get us both!"

Sasuke punched Killer Bee in the stomach with his chidori, electrocuting both Killer Bee and Suigetsu. Juugo attacked from above, forming a huge crater from his punch. When the smoke cleared, Killer Bee was gone.

"That was incredible, Emiko-chan!" Suigetsu grinned over at the small, shocked girl. "Did you just think of that off the top of your head?"

Emiko shook her head, grinning proudly. "I've been practicing creating a new move for the past couple of months. That's the first time I've ever used it in combat."

"Karin." Sasuke cut his eyes over to Karin.

Karin closed her eyes for a moment before pointing behind a giant boulder. "Over there!"

Emiko stood beside Suigetsu, watching as Juugo threw Sasuke towards Killer Bee's hiding place. She heard Killer Bee scream something and gasped as Killer Bee's body was surrounded in a red chakra. She had never felt such an immense chakra before. She screamed when Karin suddenly pulled her into a tight hug while Juugo picked up Karin and Suigetsu.

Juugo managed to leap out of the way of Killer Bee's punch but the force still pushed the four away, causing Juugo to lose his grip on Suigetsu and Karin losing her grip on Emiko.

Emiko was thrown the farthest, wincing as her back connected with a large rock. Her vision tunneled for a minute but everything finally came back into focus.

"You okay, Emiko!?" Karin called over to the small girl after Emiko didn't respond to Sasuke.

Emiko shakily stood up. "Yeah! Just a little dizzy!"

"Stay down!" Karin yelled.

Emiko screamed as Killer Bee threw Sasuke around like a rag doll. Ignoring Karin's prior order, Emiko ran to Sasuke, the only thought in her mind was to protect him, like Itachi had asked her to do. She wasn't going to let anything happen to Sasuke, even if it cost her life. She was running alongside Karin now and the two girls reached Sasuke at the same time. Tears poured down Emiko's face when she saw that Sasuke's neck and chest were completely ripped open. "Sasuke, hold on!" Emiko looked pleadingly up at Juugo. "What can I do?"

"Talk to him." Juugo said, his attention focused on healing Sasuke.

Emiko leaned down to Sasuke's face, whispering softly in his ear. "Sasuke, you need to get up. You can't leave me, okay. You got mad at me when I tried to kill myself. If you die and leave me, I'll follow you and kick your ass." She smiled when she saw the twitch of a smirk appear on Sasuke's face.

The four looked up and were shocked to see Killer Bee transform into his true form. Emiko stood boldly in front of Sasuke, a kunai drawn.

"Emiko, that's really not going to do any good." Karin said. "We need to get out of here or we're dead."

"I'm done."

Emiko turned around and squealed. "Juugo-san's my size now!" She promptly tackled the exhausted Juugo to the ground.

"Hurry up. We need to get out of here." Karin helped Sasuke to his feet and the group began limping away.

Suigetsu blocked the group from the oncoming Eight-Tails Beast. "I'll hold him off. You guys get out of here!"

Karin helped Sasuke while Emiko allowed Juugo to lean on her. They began running when they sensed the Eight-Tails building up his chakra for an attack. The attack broke right through Suigetsu.

Emiko turned around, not even thinking of the consequences of her actions. She had barely any chakra left and she was exhausted. She shouldn't use anymore chakra or it could prove to be fatal. She knew that but she didn't care. "Fuujin Shinyuu(2)!" A dome of wind surrounded the group, Emiko standing in front of the group. The shield managed to deflect the brunt of the attack but some still broke through, Emiko taking the entire attack.

Juugo caught her, holding the small, gasping, girl in his arms. "Emiko, are you okay?"

Emiko cracked one eye open, looking over at Sasuke. "Are you okay, Sasuke?"

"Idiot, Juugo just asked you if you were okay." Sasuke gasped out.

Emiko smiled shakily up at the tiny Juugo. "I'm okay. Just tired."

"Emiko, you're bleeding." Juugo held his hand up that had been resting on Emiko's stomach. There was blood covering his entire hand.

Emiko wanted to reassure them that she was okay. She wanted to tell them that she didn't feel anything. But, her vision was turning black at the edges and darkness was swimming in front of her eyes. The last thing she saw was Juugo's panicked face.

**Yay, Emiko got some new techniques. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! **

**(1)—Chimamire Kyoufuu—bloody raging wind**

**(2)—** **Fuujin Shinyuu—wind god heavenly protection**


	38. Don't Be Reckless

**They fixed my laptop! I'm so happy. Last night sucked pretty hardcore. My dad and sister got in a fight (again!) and then my mom was inferring that her and my dad might get a divorce. I was so bummed out last night! Luckily, BriBri-chan let me stay at her house last night (I wuv you BriBri-chan!). We went house hunting today so that was fun. Everything is cool at my house now and my mom said she and my dad weren't getting a divorce, that she just said it out of anger and frustration.**

**Whoohoo! There are 300 reviews for Akatsuki Baby! You guys are awesome and I love you all so much!!! Cookies for everyone!**

**Sakura02: No, I just really wanted some waffles…I still do.**

**Ivvy-sama: Lol, you better be careful or I just may use that idea of yours. But no, as of right now, there are no plans to kill Emiko.**

**MusicLuva: Aw, I hope you did okay on your coursework! Hopefully this update will make you happy.**

* * *

Emiko's eyes slowly opened. She groaned and gently rubbed her sore stomach. She pulled back her covers and gasped. Her dress had been removed, leaving her in only her underwear. Bandages wrapped around her torso, the area covering her stomach soaked with blood. Slowly, she sat up and winced.

"Don't move too much." Karin knelt down beside Emiko's makeshift bed on the ground. "You'll reopen the wound."

"Where am I?" Emiko asked, still dazed.

"We found a little place to rest for the time being. How are you feeling?"

Emiko blinked, surprised by the almost genuine concern in Karin's voice. "Fine. My tummy is just kinda sore."

"That's good." Karin whapped Emiko soundly on the back of the head. "Don't you ever do something stupid like that again, Idiot!"

Emiko let out a cry of surprise. "I'm sorry!" She rubbed her head gingerly. "Since when do you care what happens to me? You hate me."

Karin sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Look, we don't get along. I don't particularly care for you and you'd rather see me jump off a cliff than be anywhere near you."

Emiko nodded her head approvingly. "True."

"However," Karin turned her head away, almost embarrassed by what she was about to say. "you saved my life. Putting that aside, you're very important to Sasuke. You…" her voice broke off. "…you didn't have to see Sasuke's face when he saw you covered in blood. You didn't hear the panic in his voice when he was calling your name and you didn't answer. You didn't see him crying because he thought you were dead! That's why you can't do such reckless and foolish things anymore! If you disappear, Sasuke will be sad."

Emiko lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I'll try to be more careful. Where is Sasu-chan anyways?"

Karin rolled her eyes. "You're back to calling him by that stupid name?"

Emiko puffed her cheeks out. "I like my nickname for Sasu-chan. Besides, he doesn't care if I call him that."

"Whatever. He's sleeping over there. Don't wake him up." Karin got up and began walking away. "I'm going to go keep lookout."

Emiko carefully stood up, slowly making her way over to where Sasuke was sleeping. She laid down beside him, cuddling close to him. She smiled when his sleepy eyes opened. "I'm sorry, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke yawned, wrapping his arms around the small girl. "Just don't do something stupid like that again. How are you feeling?"

"Better…" Emiko yawned and closed her eyes. "Night, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke smiled sleepily and closed his eyes as well. "Night, Emiko."

* * *

"What do you mean you left my sword!?"

Emiko yawned and sat up. She giggled when she saw and angry Suigetsu in a tank, yelling at an equally annoyed Karin. She stood up and walked over to the still tiny Juugo. She hugged him tightly. "Good morning, Juugo-chan!"

Juugo smiled and patted Emiko's head. "Good morning, Emiko-chan. Are you feeling better?"

Emiko grinned. "Yup."

"Get over here, Emiko." Karin motioned the small girl over. "I need to fix your bandages."

Emiko practically skipped over, grinning the whole time Karin was fixing her bandages. Once Karin was done changing her bandages, she slipped her dress back on. She frowned when she heard a glass fall down. "Are you okay, Sasu-chan?"

Sasuke held his eye. "Yes. I'm fine."

Emiko walked over to Sasuke and sat beside him on the crate. She pulled his hand from his eye and held his face in between her two hands. "Don't lie to me. Please, tell me what's wrong."

Sasuke looked into Emiko's worried eyes. He closed his eyes so he couldn't see the pained expression on her face. He brought his forehead forward and rested it against Emiko's. "Don't worry about me; I'm fine. You just focus on getting better."

Emiko huffed, releasing Sasuke's face. "This isn't over. I will find out what's wrong."

Sasuke gently tapped his forehead to Emiko's. "If you say so." Sasuke frowned when he saw Karin stiffen. "What's wrong?"

"We've been followed." Karin whispered.

Sasuke stood up, fixing Emiko with a stern look. "Stay here. Juugo, come with me."

Emiko pouted but did as she was told. She kicked her legs against the side of the crate until Sasuke and Juugo returned a moment later, dragging a man behind them. Emiko's curiosity got the better of her and ran over. She frowned when she saw the state the man was in. "What's going on, Sasu-chan?"

Sasuke didn't respond to Emiko. "Karin, take Emiko to meet Pein. He wanted us to bring her to him when she was better."

Emiko's eyes widened and she latched onto Sasuke's leg. "No! I don't want to leave you! I want to stay with you!"

Sasuke shoved the unconscious man over to Juugo. "Emiko, Pein wants your help on a very important mission. You need to go."

Emiko shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. She struggled when Sasuke forced her to release him. She refused to even look at him as he knelt down to her eye level. "Why can't I stay with you?"

Sasuke ruffled Emiko's hair. "We'll see each other again soon. Besides," he leaned forward and whispered into Emiko's ear. "this is your chance to talk to your father."

Emiko wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck and hugged him tightly. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. You can't leave me, okay?"

Sasuke hugged her back tightly. "The same goes to you. Don't do anything reckless and don't you dare leave me. If you do," he smirked. "I'll follow you and kick your ass."

Emiko smiled through her tears and reluctantly allowed Karin to drag her away from Sasuke. She waved goodbye to Juugo and Suigetsu and followed Karin out of their resting place.

* * *

"You can't take her with you!" Konan screamed. After Karin had left Emiko with Konan and Pein, Konan had turned her wrath on Pein. "She's just a child! She shouldn't be involved in something like this!"

Pein turned his icy gaze to Konan. "This was the reason I allowed her to stay with us; so she could be of use to us. If she's of no use to us, her life is useless."

Emiko hugged Konan around her legs. "It's okay, Mama. I want to help. I'll be okay." She buried her face in Konan's Akatsuki robe. She bit back the tears that were ready to form in her eyes. She was going to hurt the people she loved but she had no choice. She had made her decision and she would have to live with it. She took a deep breath and looked at Pein.

"I'm ready."

**

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****Dun Dun Duuuuuuun. ****I love saying that. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even if it was a wee bit short. I hope you can all forgive me! I shall see you all next** **so that you all may find out what Emiko is going to do and….maybe even who her father is…maybe…**


	39. Daddy

**Wahhhh! I don't want to go to school tomorrow! I started reading two new manga series that are really good. One is MeruPuri which is by the same woman that does Vampire Knight. Another one is called Reborn which is totally awesome! I recommend both of them. **

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"Emiko, you will come with me for reconnaissance." Pein said.

Emiko nodded absentmindedly, looking around at all the different Peins. "Yes Papa."

Konan bit her lip to keep herself from saying anything. Something was bothering Emiko but she didn't know what. "Are you sure you're okay, Emiko?"

Emiko smiled sadly up at Konan. "Yes Mama." She stayed close to God Realm Pein, following him wherever he went. She winced as she heard all the explosions going off through Konoha, biting back tears. She blinked when Pein stopped and she peeked around him. "Iruka-san!"

Pein frowned down at Emiko. "Be silent, Emiko." He turned his attention back to Iruka. "Tell me where the Kyubi is. If you don't, I'll kill you."

Emiko gasped as Pein pointed a sword at Iruka. "Papa…"

"I said be silent, Emiko."

Iruka frowned. "I won't tell you anything."

"Very well." Pein brought his sword down, ready to take Iruka's life.

Kakashi appeared, grabbing Pein's sword. He glanced over at Iruka. "Get that injured man out of here." He smiled sadly down at Emiko. "Please get away from here too, Emiko. This is no place for someone so young."

Emiko shook her head. "No. I…" She was smart enough to move out of the way as the two grown men began to fight. She stood off to the side, watching the two men exchange blows, clenching her fist tightly. "Papa…please stop…"

"If you say one more thing, I will kill you Emiko." Pein said softly, repelling all of Kakashi's attacks.

Emiko bit her lip, watching as another Pein (she thought it was Demon Realm) began attacking Kakashi. She watched helplessly as Kakashi was pulled in by God Realm Pein, being dragged towards the almost scorpion like tail of Demon Realm Pein. She screamed as Kakashi was stabbed. Tears fell from her eyes even when she realized that Kakashi was okay, that it had just been a Lightning Clone. Her smile grew when Chouji and his father arrived.

Chouji frowned over at Emiko. "Emiko-chan, you shouldn't be here. You could get hurt."

Emiko continued crying. "Why…? Why are all of you so worried about me? I'm your enemy…you're supposed to hate me."

Chouji smiled over at Emiko. "It's because all of us believe that Emiko isn't a bad person. You can't help who raised you."

"Emiko, you know what to do." Pein said quietly.

Emiko bit her lip. She quickly wiped her tears away before closing her eyes. "Chimamire Kyoufuu"

Pein was shocked, barely having any time to move out of the way of Emiko's attack. He glared at the young girl. "What do you think you're doing, Emiko?"

Emiko walked over to stand beside Kakashi and the others. "I'm not going to hurt my precious people. I love my family, including you, Papa but…I can't hurt Konoha. This is where I was born, where 'Tachi and Sasu-chan were born. This place was important to 'Tachi. He wanted to protect it. I…" She looked at Pein with fire in her eyes. "I'm going to protect Konoha and everyone! I'm going to save Sasu-chan and bring him back!"

Pein looked emotionlessly at Emiko. "You're useless."

Kakashi reacted quickly, picking Emiko up and just barely dodging Pein's furious attack. He and the others hid behind a pile of debris. He smiled down at Emiko. "Are you okay, Emiko?"

Emiko smiled shakily and nodded. "Yeah. Um…"

Kakashi shushed her, continuing to smile. "I see you figured out how to open the locket. Right now, stay back here. I don't want you to get hurt."

Before Emiko could protest, Kakashi and the others had begun to attack Pein. She peeked out from behind the rubble and almost began crying again when she saw both Chouji and his father unconscious. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Kakashi was trapped. Without thinking, she ran out from her hiding place as Pein threw a nail at the trapped Kakashi. She held her hand out to attempt to catch the nail, crying out as it pierced her hand instead.

Pein frowned. "You realize that you will suffer greatly for this."

Emiko glared angrily at Pein. "Don't you dare hurt him. Don't you dare hurt my daddy!"

Pein raised an eyebrow, looking at the immobilized Jonin. "I see. So, Emiko is the child of Senju Haruki and Hatake Kakashi. How interesting."

"Emiko…get out of here…" Kakashi said.

Emiko shook her head, standing defensively in front of him. "No. If I leave, he'll kill you. I have to yell at you for not telling me so you can't die yet. I have so many questions to ask you."

Kakashi laughed. "You'll have to forgive me, Emiko. I don't think I'll be able to answer your questions."

Before Emiko could ask him what he meant, she looked over and saw that Demon Realm Pein was trying to attack Chouji. She wasn't sure what happened to the attack, but it just disappeared. "What did you do, Daddy?" She frowned when she looked over and saw Kakashi wasn't moving. "Daddy?"

"It's your turn, Emiko. I'm very disappointed in you."

Emiko managed to roll out of the way. She growled at Pein. "I'll never forgive you! Chimamire Kyoufuu!"

Pein once again dodged Emiko's attack with ease. He appeared in front of the small girl, stabbing her in the stomach with his sword. He caught the small girl as she collapsed. "I had such high hopes for you, Emiko. I'm…disappointed…"

Emiko's world faded into darkness. She could hear voices and then, she felt someone pick her up. She didn't feel anymore pain and there was something warm and comforting gently touching her face.

"Please wake up, Emiko."

That voice was so familiar to her. She began crying before she even opened her eyes. That voice she thought she'd never hear again. "Am I dead?" She opened her eyes slowly, smiling when she saw who was sitting beside her. "'Tachi…"

Itachi smiled down at Emiko, stroking her cheek affectionately, wiping her tears away. "You're not dead."

"Then I'm dreaming."

Itachi shook his head. "No. You're alive."

Emiko struggled to sit up. She reached out with her small hands and trapped Itachi's face in between her hands. "I saw you die. You were dead…" Tears choked her up.

"I know. I had to deceive you so that I could get away from Madara. I'm so sorry, Emiko. I didn't want to hurt you." Itachi said softly, pulling the small girl into his lap.

Emiko clung to the front of his shirt, burying her face in it. "You lied to me." She whimpered, more tears falling from her eyes. "You told me you'd never leave me. You lied to me! You lied to Sasu-chan!"

Itachi held the small girl tightly. "Please forgive me for hurting you."

Emiko looked up at Itachi, tears still falling from her eyes. "Of course I forgive you. But," She puffed her cheeks out and began pulling on Itachi's cheeks. "if you ever do that again I'll beat you up."

Itachi chuckled. "That seems fair."

"She's awake?"

Emiko looked up from Itachi and squealed. "Daddy!" She hopped out of Itachi's lap and ran over to Kakashi, hugging him tightly. She looked up at him with worry. "Are you okay?"

Kakashi picked Emiko up, smiling down at her. "Yes." He looked over at Itachi. "Thank you for saving us."

Itachi nodded his head but said nothing. He stood up to leave. "I'll let you two catch up."

Emiko frowned. "Where are you going?"

Itachi smiled at her. "I'll be in the next room. I'm not leaving you."

Emiko held her pinky out. "Promise?"

Itachi linked his pinky with hers. "Promise." He left the room.

Kakashi sat down on the bed, Emiko nestled comfortably in his lap. "So, I suppose you have quite a few questions for me."

"How long did you know?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head nervously. "I've known ever since I first saw you in Haruki's arms."

"Why didn't Mommy tell you I was yours?"

Kakashi sighed. "Your mother and I were very good friends. She was on my squad when I was an Anbu captain and we became close. Your mother was a gentle person. She hated fighting and killing with every fiber of her being. A member of our squad had been seriously injured protecting Haruki. She was distraught and…she stayed at my house that night…"

Emiko blinked. "What does staying at your house have to do with anything?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Don't worry about it. You'll understand when you're older. I think she was ashamed and that's why she didn't tell me."

Emiko pouted. "Well, why didn't you tell her you knew?"

"I figured that as long as I could be there for the two of you, that it would be okay. I thought she would tell me in her own time." Kakashi smiled sadly.

Emiko chewed thoughtfully on her lip. "How long had you known I was Seika?"

Kakashi hugged Emiko tightly. "From the minute I saw you in the forest. I had no doubt in my mind that it was you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Would you have believed me?"

Emiko thought for a moment. "No. I would've thought you were crazy."

Kakashi laughed. "I had meant to tell you, after you had that dream. I wanted to talk to you but you disappeared. I'm sorry."

Emiko leaned against Kakashi, hugging him. "It's okay." She looked up at Kakashi. "Did you love Mommy?"

Kakashi stroked Emiko's hair. "Your mother was a very dear friend of mine and I loved her very much."

"Did you love her the way she loved you?" Emiko asked.

Before Kakashi could answer, Itachi walked back into the room then. "I really hate to interrupt but we need to come up with a plan."

Emiko blinked. "A plan for what?"

Kakashi looked down at Emiko. "We need to figure out how to take Uchiha Madara and Akatsuki down once and for all."

* * *

**Ha! Take that Kishimoto! So Itachi isn't dead and neither is Kakashi. What plan will they come up with? What role will Emiko play? You'll have to review if you want to find out. **


	40. Turn Back the Clock: Dinner Guest

**Hello everyone! Welcome back for another installment of Akatsuki Baby! I survived my first few weeks of classes. I'm so proud of myself. **

**There is a new poll on my profile page because I have had a few people say they think Sasuke and Emiko should be together. I'm not saying I'll have them get together but I am curious as to how many of you would like for that to happen. Maybe if there is a huge landslide in the votes, that may sway me to write it one way or the other. I would have to discuss it with BriBri-chan first though.**

**Just so you know, the next few chapters are actually going to be about Haruki, Emiko's mother. I'm still working out the details for how I'm going to do everything what with Itachi and Kakashi not being dead. So, think of this as like that Swing Back the Pendulum thing that Bleach did. It won't be as long as the Bleach one was though, so don't worry.**

* * *

"Senju Haruki reporting for duty, sir!"

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow at the ninja girl standing before him. She appeared about his age, possibly a couple years younger than him. Her long black hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and her dark brown eyes gleamed with excitement. "It's nice to meet you, Senju. I'm your captain Hatake Kakashi."

Thus, their first meeting ended. Haruki had been a surprise addition to the Anbu, considering her bright and cheerful nature. Despite her naïve appearance, Haruki was an excellent ninja, never backing down from a challenge, no matter how high the odds were stacked against her.

"Haruki-chan, be care—"

Unfortunately, she was also a terrible klutz.

Kakashi sighed and walked over to where Haruki lay in the middle of the street, flat on her face. He bent down, containing his laughter. "Are you okay, Haruki-chan?"

Haruki lifted her face up, laughing despite the nosebleed she had. "I'm fine! There must have been a rock or something."

Kakashi finally laughed as he helped Haruki to her feet. "No, you tripped on air, again. You are the only ninja I know that can manage that."

"Haruki!" Uchiha Mikoto skipped over to the two Anbu, a knowing smirk plastered on her face. "You're still coming over for dinner, right? Sasuke's been asking about you."

Haruki flushed, nodding her head and putting as much distance between herself and Kakashi. "Yeah, I'll be there in a few hours."

Mikoto turned to Kakashi. "You can come too, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi smiled. "Sorry, but I have a meeting with Hokage-sama. We have an important mission coming up and I need to discuss the details with him." He waved goodbye to the two women and left.

Haruki screamed as she was tackled to the ground. "Get off me, Mikoto!"

Mikoto laughed and helped her friend up. "What were you doing with Kakashi-san?"

"We just had lunch together." Haruki pouted, dusting herself off.

"You like him." Mikoto grinned.

Haruki's face became so red she seemed to be glowing. "I-I respect him as a fellow ninja and my captain. That's all. He's a good friend! It would be inappropriate to pursue a relationship! Would you stop doing that with your eyebrows!?"

Mikoto laughed and grabbed Haruki's hand. "Come help me get dinner ready. Sasuke's been dying for you to teach him some more tricks."

Reluctantly, Haruki allowed herself to be dragged to the Uchiha compound. She was always nervous when she went there. All the older Uchiha's looked at her with disdain and began whispering to each other. It wasn't her fault that her ancestors had managed to beat their ancestors. She smiled nervously as they entered the compound, keeping her head down as they passed a group of scowling Uchiha.

"Senju-san!"

Haruki screamed as she was tackled to the ground by a blur of black. Why did the Uchiha's seem obsessed with tackling her to the ground? She smiled and patted the small boy's head. "Hello, Sasuke-kun. How are you today?"

Sasuke looked up, pouting. "Itachi won't play with me."

Itachi walked into the foyer, a small smile on his face. "I told him I'd play with him after dinner. How are you, Haruki-san?"

Haruki stood up, Sasuke secure in her arms. "I'm doing just fine other than being tackled nonstop by Uchihas."

"Come on, Haruki." Mikoto pried Sasuke of Haruki and dragged the poor Senju into the kitchen. "We need to have dinner ready before Fugaku gets home."

Haruki stuck her tongue out. "I don't see how you can stand him. He's so uptight, like there's a stick permanently shoved up his ass."

Mikoto chuckled. "Fugaku is actually very nice once you get to know him. Besides, I wouldn't be casting stones about taste in men considering you like a habitually tardy pervert."

"I do not!" Haruki shrieked.

"Mama, why is Senju-san screaming?" Little Sasuke ran into the room, looking around frantically. "Are we under attack?"

Mikoto laughed. "No. Senju-san is just refusing to admit what the entire village already knows."

"They do not!" Haruki's face was getting redder and redder by the second.

"Oh, you mean that she likes Kakashi-san?" Itachi asked, walking into the kitchen. He easily dodged a frying pan aimed at his head.

The rest of the time it took to prepare dinner was fairly quiet. Haruki was setting the table when the front door was heard opening. Sasuke screaming 'Daddy' was heard throughout the house.

"Mikoto, set an extra place." Fugaku's voice called. "We have another guest tonight."

Haruki set the extra place while Mikoto put food on everyone's plates. Haruki looked up and screamed, falling on her butt. "What are you doing here, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi laughed and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Fugaku-san invited me to dinner."

Haruki managed to squeak out an 'oh'. Mikoto had to lead her to her seat which was right next to Kakashi. Haruki came to her senses and glared at Mikoto through the rest of dinner. Mikoto returned the glare with a grin. Dinner itself was fairly silent except for Kakashi, Fugaku, and Itachi talking about politics and what country was attacking which other country. Haruki was stiff as a board the entire dinner, barely speaking which was a rarity for her. She'd squeak every time Kakashi's hand would accidentally brush against her or when he'd playfully elbow her in the side.

Finally, dinner was over and Mikoto walked the two dinner guest to the door. She hugged Haruki tightly. "See you later."

Haruki practically ran out of the door. She would definitely have to yell at Mikoto later.

"Haruki-chan, you forgot your jacket!"

Haruki stopped running and waited for Kakashi to catch up to her. She took the jacket from him and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi smiled. "Why don't I walk you home?"

"Oh, you don't have to, Kakashi-san." Haruki smiled nervously.

"No, I insist. It's rather late and I don't want anything to happen to you."

Before Haruki could protest, Kakashi had wrapped an arm around her shoulder and began leading her to her apartment. He had come over a few times to retrieve her for missions and to steal a meal from her. Haruki looked off to the side, thinking about all the laundry she had to do, the dishes that needed to be cleaned, throttling Mikoto, anything to keep her mind off of how warm Kakashi was.

After what seemed like an eternity, the duo reached the door to Haruki's apartment. Kakashi kept his arm around Haruki's shoulders smiling at how nervous she looked.

"Thank you, Kakashi-san." Haruki said as she quickly fished for her key in her pocket, keeping her head down. She squeaked when the hand on her head forced her to look up.

"See you later, Haruki-chan." Kakashi kissed her forehead through his mask and quickly disappeared.

Haruki stood in the hallway, shocked, her mouth hanging open. Her face burning, she unlocked the door to her apartment and ran in, slamming the door shut. She went to bed the night and, instead of dreaming about the best way to maim Mikoto, dreamed of the soft kiss she had received from her captain.

**

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****Thank you guys for being so patient! I'm going to try and still be good about updating but I need to focus on my schoolwork so there may be some weeks that I have to study instead of write. Never fear though, I have no intention of abandoning any of my stories. Please review and let me know what you think!**


	41. Turn Back the Clock: Valentine's Day

**AHHH! I got my cartilage pierced on my right ear. It's so cute but it hurt for like the first couple of hours! **

**The poll is in an even 50/50 split right now but Sakura02 is very adamant against Sasuke and Emiko getting together. If you think you have a strong case to argue to her about why the two should be together, pm her and tell her your reasoning.**

**Sakura02: Hey! I finished reading MeruPuri and I squealed at the end! I'm trying to read more shojo but the titles scare the Mei-chan away.**

**BluEbErRy-ChAn****: Ah! Don't die Blueberry-chan! Lol. I take it that means you liked the chapter?**

**Ivvy-sama: I was worried when Ivvy-sama hadn't reviewed. I thought you had abandoned me or something (cries)!**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed last week's chapter! You guys rock!**

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"You have to the count of five to get out here and show me what you have on." Mikoto tapped her foot on the floor of the shop.

Haruki poked her head out of the dressing room. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this? We're just going out to dinner. We've done it a thousand times before and you've never freaked out like this."

Mikoto rolled her eyes. "It's not just any dinner. He asked you to go to dinner with him on Valentine's Day! You do know what Valentine's Day is all about, don't you?"

Haruki blushed. "Y-yeah. But you and I used to go out on Valentine's Day all the time before you married Fugaku and we weren't in love. Unless," Haruki narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "have you been secretly in love with me all this time?"

Mikoto threw her shoe at Haruki's face, laughing as the Anbu girl barely dodged it. "That's different. I'm your best friend. This is Hatake Kakashi who is always finding some excuse to hang out with you asking you to dinner. He likes you. Now get out here and let me see the dress."

"He does not…" Haruki mumbled as she stepped out of the dressing room. She beamed at Mikoto's approving look. The dress she had on was a short red dress with spaghetti straps. Over the red fabric was black lace with a rose pattern on it. She twirled around. "What do you think?"

Mikoto circled Haruki, nodding approvingly. "I think it's perfect. Now we just need to get you some shoes and accessories."

Haruki felt like crying as Mikoto continued dragging her around the village, forcing her to try on shoes, necklaces, bracelets, and any other kind of jewelry Mikoto liked. Finally, Haruki was collapsed on her couch, completely exhausted. She fell asleep that way, only waking up when there was a knock on her door.

"Hello, Iruka-san." Haruki smiled as she answered the door.

Iruka grinned back. "I'm sorry to bother you this early, Haruki-san. I actually have a mission to go on and I was wondering if you could substitute for me today. The kids always ask for you."

"That's fine. Just let me get ready." Haruki shut the door and quickly got ready. She looked down at the dress laying across her bed, remembering she had a date with Kakashi that evening. A date between friends, she reminded herself.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of a classroom full of children. She smiled brightly at all of them. "Good morning, everyone. I'll be teaching all of you today."

"Hey, hey, Haruki-sensei," Naruto was jumping up and down in his seat excitedly. "I heard you have a date tonight. Is that true?"

"Ooohhh! Who are you going on a date with, Haruki-sensei?" Sakura and Ino asked together.

"I already told you guys; she's going out with Kakashi-san." Sasuke grinned smugly.

Haruki's face was getting redder and redder by the minute. "Enough about that. Today, we're going to be reviewing weapons."

Despite Haruki's best efforts, the children continued to pester her about her supposed date the entire day. She was relieved when the day was over and she quickly made a run for her apartment. She wasn't surprised to find Mikoto lounging on her couch.

Mikoto peeked over the side of the couch. "How was your day?"

Haruki pouted. "Why did you have to tell Sasuke? He told all the kids and they kept pestering me about it."

Mikoto laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that. Now, I need to fix your hair." Mikoto began brushing Haruki's hair, humming to herself as she did so. She pulled Haruki's hair into a ponytail leaving two strands down. She curled both the strands and the ponytail, grinning at her handiwork.

Haruki huffed as Mikoto began doing her makeup. After that horrible ordeal was over, Haruki put her dress on along with her jewelry and shoes. She crossed her arms nervously as Mikoto appraised her. "Do I pass inspection?"

Mikoto nodded. "He'll definitely want to get in your pants." She laughed as multiple pillows were flung at her. Both girls froze when they heard a knock on the door. Mikoto grinned at Haruki. "Good luck."

Haruki smoothed her dress down, suddenly becoming very nervous. She reminded herself she had no reason to be, that this was only a dinner between friends. Despite her little mantra, she couldn't help blushing when she answered the door, noticing how nice Kakashi looked in his formal white shirt and black slacks. She did giggle when she realized he still had his mask on.

Kakashi smiled. "Are you ready to go?" He held his arm out, his smiling widening when Haruki linked their arms together. He looked back into the apartment. "I'll have her back before midnight, Mikoto."

Mikoto waved her hand dismissively. "You better not. You can take her home with you if you want." She quickly shut the door before Haruki could take her heel off and beat her with them.

Haruki's face was still bright red as Kakashi led her out of apartment complex and down into the street. "I'm so sorry about Mikoto. She can be such an idiot sometimes."

"It's fine." Kakashi looked down. "You look very cute tonight."

"Mikoto helped me pick it out. You look nice too." Haruki refused to look Kakashi in the face.

Kakashi frowned at this but let it go. He led the way to the restaurant, helping Haruki into her seat when they reached the table. The two ordered and then began to just talk. Kakashi spoke of the new Anbu members, complaining that most of them were too cocky for their own good while Haruki giggled about how the children were so cute when they were training with the kunai.

"Naruto-chan is getting better, even if he doesn't think he is." Haruki smiled softly. "I wish he could see how much potential he really has."

Kakashi smiled. "You really like children, Haruki-chan."

Haruki nodded. "I want to have my own someday. I think I would want three. Two boys and a girl."

"Is there any order you'd want them in?" Kakashi asked.

Haruki thought for a moment. "I would want one boy first, then the girl, and then the other boy."

Kakashi blinked. "Why is that?"

Haruki looked at Kakashi like he was an idiot. "I want the girl to have at least one big brother so that he could protect her and that way she would have some older boys to flirt with when his friends came over."

Kakashi laughed. "What if your husband didn't want your daughter flirting with her brother's friends?"

"He'd just have to get over it." Haruki said firmly.

"So," Kakashi took a sip of his water. "what kind of guys do you like, Haruki-chan?"

Haruki blushed, suddenly finding her napkin very interesting. "What kind of girls do you like, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi smiled. "I asked you first."

"I asked you second." Haruki argued.

Kakashi leaned back in his chair, seeming to think. "Well, she'd have to be patient with me, seeing as I'm a habitually tardy pervert." He laughed at the embarrassed look on Haruki's face. He hadn't heard the conversation but little Sasuke had filled him in on what he had heard. "I like girls with long hair and pretty dark brown eyes. She'd have to do really cute things, like trip over thin air. Hmmm..." Kakashi looked up to see Haruki's reaction.

She was confused to say the least. "Where on earth do you plan to find a girl like that?"

Kakashi sighed. "Her one flaw would probably be how oblivious she is."

Haruki frowned, but let the comment go. The rest of the dinner was very light hearted, the two of them teasing each other and laughing about stories from when they were younger.

Eventually, the two left the restaurant. They were walking down the street slowly back towards Haruki's apartment. Kakashi smiled when Haruki hesitantly held his hand in hers. He intertwined their fingers and pulled her closer to his side. The two continued talking and laughing until they reached Haruki's door.

Haruki smiled up at Kakashi. "Thank you for taking me to dinner, Kakashi-san. I had a lot of fun." She left her hand in his, reluctant to let go.

Kakashi smiled and pulled Haruki into a hug, startling the girl. He let her go, almost laughing at how red her face was. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

Haruki breathed a sigh of relief. The hug had thrown her off but the kiss to her forehead was familiar. Ever since that night they had dinner with the Uchiha's, Kakashi would always kiss her on the forehead if he walked her home. She had become used to it and it had become something comforting to her. She took a deep breath and unlocked her door. She frowned as Kakashi began walking away.

Kakashi was surprised when he felt two hands grab onto his arm. He turned back around. "Is something wrong, Haruki-chan?"

Haruki's face was scarlet. She looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. Quickly she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Kakashi's cheek before bolting into her apartment. She locked the door and let out the breath she'd been holding.

She made her way to the bathroom, deciding to take a shower before she went to bed. She stayed in the shower for awhile, bemoaning her decision to kiss Kakashi. He probably thought she was an idiot. Finally, she emerged from her shower, wrapped tightly in fluffy white towel. She walked into her bedroom and was startled by what she saw.

On her bed was a pink teddy bear. The pink teddy bear held a dozen roses in it's arm and a note was sitting in front of it. Haruki crawled onto her bed and read the short note.

_Sorry, I forgot to give these to you before we left. Better late then never, ne?_

Haruki smiled, recognizing the scratchy writing as Kakashi's. She took the roses into the kitchen and put them in her prettiest vase. She went back to her room and changed into her pajamas. She crawled under the covers and snuggled with the pink teddy bear. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, unaware that a few blocks away, Kakashi was awake, a wide grin on his face.

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**I don't know why but the song Flightless Bird, American Mouth makes me think of Haruki and Kakashi. Let me know what you thought! Romance is a new territory for me to write so if it seems kind of awkward, please forgive me! **

**Again, if you think you have a strong case for Sasuko (Sasuke/Emiko), pm Sakura02 and let her know. **


	42. Turn Back the Clock: Confession

**I had a Biology test today. I think I did pretty good but then again, you never know. I have a History test on Friday which I am not looking forward to. Such is the life of a college student.**

**cheeky half-demon: Aw, I'm glad you like the pairing! They're my first attempt at writing romance so hopefully they're not too cheesy.**

**Crystal Kira: Ha ha! You remind me of BriBri-chan so much with the anti-Sasuko sentiments. **

**Ivvy-sama: I'm glad to know you won't abandon me! You get a cookie for that. As for the obliviousness…she's likes me but a little more extreme. I'm not quite as dense as her (but I'm pretty close).**

**Sakura02: Noooo! Not the scary titles! And you attacked me with the eyelash curler! Evil makeup….**

**Midnight Freesia: Yes, I am a fan of Twilight. I bought the soundtrack because I loved all the songs and I was listening to Flightless Bird while I was writing the first Kakashi/Haruki scene and it just seemed to fit them. I personally prefer Jacob over Edward but that's because he's like a walking furnace and I can't retain body heat.**

* * *

It had been a month since Kakashi and Haruki had spent Valentine's Day together. It was White Day now and Haruki found herself sitting in her house having dinner with not only Mikoto and Fugaku, but Kakashi as well.

Fugaku glared as he looked around the modest apartment. "This place is very small."

Haruki smiled nervously as she ate her food. "Well, I'm only one person. I don't need much space."

Fugaku made a noise before taking a bite of his meal. "This is rather bland." He made a face as his wife's foot connected with his shin.

Mikoto smiled at her friend. "Don't mind him. He's just being a spoilsport. The food is awesome, Haruki-chan."

"Yes," Kakashi agreed. "This is wonderful."

The rest of the dinner was fairly quiet except for Mikoto and Kakashi laughing loudly at each other's jokes. Finally, once the meal was over, Mikoto pulled a huge sake bottle out of her bag.

"Mikoto, why did you bring that?" Fugaku sighed.

Mikoto grinned. "What's a party without some alcohol? Drink up everyone!" She poured small cups for everyone.

Haruki sighed. She had a bad feeling about how this evening was going to go.

* * *

"There are two Haruki's!" Mikoto screamed as she ran into a wall.

Haruki rolled her eyes. She was sitting on the floor, cleaning up the sake that Mikoto had just spilled. She almost screamed when she felt a weight on her chest. She looked down and her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

Kakashi snuggled against her chest, poking her. "You have a really soft chest, Haruki-chan." His face was flushed red from the alcohol.

Haruki kept her hands tight at her sides, not sure whether to slap Kakashi silly or…or…well she really didn't know what else to do.

"I'll take her home now." Fugaku said as he picked the unconscious Mikoto up off the floor.

Haruki waved absently. When she heard the door shut, she looked helplessly down at Kakashi. "Um…Kakashi-san…you can get up now." She did scream as Kakashi laid down completely on top of her.

Kakashi snuggled his head into the crook of Haruki's neck. "I don't want to. You smell nice. Like a flower."

"Kakashi-san, I think you should go home." Haruki squeaked out.

"Don't wanna. I wanna stay here with you." Kakashi mumbled before drifting off to sleep.

Haruki sighed, not quite sure what to do. Should she just let him stay there? She wasn't thrilled at the idea of sleeping on the floor. She took a deep breath and sat up, pushing Kakashi off of her. She stood up and slung Kakashi's arm over her shoulder. She put on her determined face and began dragging the drunk jounin home.

She ignored the stares of people in the streets as she made her way to Kakashi's apartment. She didn't really blame them for staring, she probably would too. Haruki was relieved when she finally reached Kakashi's apartment. She blushed as she had to fish through his pants pocket to find his keys. With that out of the way, she dragged Kakashi to his room and threw him on his bed.

Haruki knew she couldn't just leave him like that. Resigned to her fate, she pulled his shoes off before tucking him in under the covers. She almost laughed at the silly look on his face. She sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing her captain's frazzled hair down. Something compelled her to lean down and kiss his cheek. She blushed as she pulled away.

Quickly, Haruki stood up and left the room, making her way to the living room. She curled up on the couch. She figured Kakashi would probably have a horrible headache tomorrow and the least she could do would be to take care of him. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Kakashi awoke the next morning with a horrible headache. He didn't remember much of last night and most certainly didn't remember coming home. He sat up a little too fast, clutching his head in pain.

"Ah, you're awake." Haruki said quietly from the bedroom doorway. She walked in, holding a cup. She held the cup out to Kakashi. "Drink this. It'll help with the headache." She sat on the edge of the bed.

Kakashi drank the liquid down. "What are you doing here, Haruki-chan?"

Haruki blushed and avoided Kakashi's gaze. "I brought you home last night. You were pretty drunk. Not as bad as Mikoto though."

"What happened last night?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, you got drunk and started nuzzling my chest. You were poking it and saying it was really soft. Then, you fell asleep on top of me so I decided to bring you back to your house." Haruki said quietly, shifting nervously.

Kakashi chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry about that. So did you just stay over here?"

"I hope that's okay. I just thought that you probably wouldn't feel good this morning so I thought I could make you breakfast but if you want me to leave I can I didn't mean to bo—" Haruki's face burned as Kakashi placed a quick kiss on her lips.

Kakashi almost laughed at the flabbergasted look on Haruki's face. "Breakfast sounds good. What are you going to make?"

"Pancakes!" Haruki squeaked out as she dashed from the room. She quickly busied herself in the kitchen. Pausing only briefly to place a finger on her lips. Had Kakashi really kissed her? Was Mikoto right that Kakashi did like her. She almost let loose a scream when arms wrapped around her shoulders. "A-are you okay, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi rested his head on top of Haruki's, smiling. "You're really stupid. Did you know that?"

"Yes. Mikoto-chan tells me that all the time." Haruki whispered out.

Kakashi pulled Haruki against him. "Do you know why you're so stupid?"

Haruki shook her head. "No."

"Do you remember when we had that date last month?" Kakashi whispered.

"Yes."

"Do you remember when I described my perfect girl?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever figure out who it was?"

"I think so." Haruki turned around in Kakashi's arms. "But it's not right." She protested.

Kakashi blinked. "Why do you say that?"

Haruki poked Kakashi in the chest. "You can't date Mikoto-chan. She's married and has two kids! Fugaku would kill you!"

Kakashi was shocked for a few moments before he burst into laughter. He pulled Haruki into a tight hug. "You really are an idiot. You're my perfect girl."

It was Haruki's turn to be shocked. "Really!?"

Kakashi kissed the top of her head. "Yes. What about me? Am I your perfect guy?"

Haruki tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, my perfect guy wouldn't always read those dirty books or be late all the time, but," She grinned up at him, blushing. "I think you'll do."

Kakashi flicked her forehead. "Are you trying to be sarcastic? You're not very good at it."

Haruki stuck her tongue out. "Hush. You kept calling me stupid. It's not my fault that you weren't more obvious about liking me."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I think it was obvious to everyone but you. That's okay though. That's one of the reasons I find you so cute."

Haruki blushed. She blinked as Kakashi led her towards the door of the apartment. "Where are we going?"

"To go tell Mikoto, of course."

**

* * *

****Sorry if that was too corny!!! Like I said, this is my first real attempt at any sort of romance so please bear with me. I'm sorry that this wasn't up yesterday. wouldn't let me log in ****TT. ****I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	43. Turn Back the Clock: Festival

**I ish sleepy. I'm so pissed now though! I thought I did really good on my biology test and I only made a 70! ARGH!!!!!**

…**.Sasuke and Itachi's sharingan eyes are staring at me and it's slightly unnerving.**

**Ivvy-sama: I totally understand what you mean about preferring the blood and gore (I feel the same) but I'm trying to get better at writing the whole romance stuff. Haha, that would be an awesome one-shot! **

**cheeky half-demon: No, sorry, I don't think Haruki is going to miraculously come back to life. You never know though.**

**ReadtheWritten: I'm glad you love it! And I love you too (in the friendly way of course).**

**Sakura02: HAHA, I made you like three OC couples in like, one week! I'm amazing**

**BluEbErRy-ChAn: Of course I'll give you a cookie too (hands over cookie). I'm sorry I forgot to give you one!**

**Next Tuesday, on March 10, Akatsuki Baby will officially be one year old!!! Yay!**

* * *

Two months. That's how long Kakashi and Haruki had been together. Haruki was still shy about the whole thing, not used to having someone as amazing as Kakashi be so affectionate with someone like her.

"Ouch, Mikoto-chan!" Haruki whined. "Those pins hurt!"

Mikoto rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a baby, Haruki. We have to make you look cute tonight. Maybe you and Kakashi will finally…"

"Shut up!" Haruki screamed as she tackled Mikoto to the ground.

Sasuke poked his head into the room before looking over at his father who was sitting in the foyer. "Daddy, why is Haruki-san sitting on top of Mommy?"

Fugaku rolled his eyes. "It is best never to question what those two do, Sasuke."

Itachi walked behind his brother, raised an eyebrow, and then picked Sasuke up. "Let's go get ready for the festival."

Mikoto giggled as Haruki helped her up. "Seriously though, Haruki, you and Kakashi haven't even…"

"Don't make me tackle you again." Haruki muttered out, blushing a bright red. "I mean, we've kissed and stuff but it's always just….how to describe it…like he's scared he's going to break me." Haruki pouted.

Mikoto rolled her eyes as she helped Haruki into her kimono. "So, show him you aren't gonna break." She tied Haruki's obi.

Haruki combed her hair, deciding to leave it down for the Summer Festival. Her kimono was a bright blue with orange koi dancing across the fabric. She frowned. "Mikoto-chan…"

Mikoto looked up from fixing her hair. "What's wrong, Haruki?"

Haruki quickly put a smile on her face, shaking her head. "No, it's nothing. Don't worry."

"Mommy," Sasuke ran into the room wearing a light blue yukata with the Uchiha fan on the back. "are we about to leave? I wanna go play the games."

Itachi walked into the room, wearing an identical yukata to Sasuke. "You look very nice, Haruki-san."

Haruki smiled, a light pink dusting her cheeks. "Thank you, Itachi-kun."

"Let's go!" Sasuke whined, tugging on his mother's kimono sleeve. "I want Itachi to win me a fishy!"

Mikoto giggled and picked him up. "Okay. We need to go meet up with Kakashi anyway."

The group made their way to the festival area. Sasuke was perched on Itachi's back while Mikoto walked in between her husband and best friend. Kakashi was waiting for them at the festival entrance.

He smiled and hugged Haruki when she reached him. He gave her a sweet kiss. "You look pretty tonight."

Haruki's blush returned full force. "Thank you. You look very nice too."

"Haruki-sensei!!!!" Naruto ran up to the two teachers, giving Kakashi a suspicious glare before turning his brilliant smile to Haruki. "Look what I got!" He held up a pink teddy bear. "I'm gonna give it to Sakura-chan!"

Haruki giggled. "That's very sweet, Naruto."

"That's stupid." Sasuke said, glaring at the offensively pink thing in Naruto's hand.

Naruto glowered at the small boy. "What'd you say, Duck Butt?"

Haruki gently pulled Naruto away from Sasuke. "Please don't fight, boys. Here," She handed each boy a few ryos. "go get some food and play a few games."

Both boys' eyes lit up. They grabbed the money and ran off, screaming their thanks.

Itachi sighed. "I'll keep an eye on them."

Mikoto tugged on Fugaku's arm. "I want some cotton candy!"

Fugaku rolled his eyes. "That's what you need; pure sugar."

Only and Kakashi and Haruki lingered at the entrance, their hands entwined. Kakashi smiled at Haruki. "Let's go find a spot to watch the fireworks."

Haruki nodded, allowing Kakashi to lead her to a secluded area by the lake. She squeaked when Kakashi pulled her into his lap. She giggled when he began placing kisses all over her face. "Stop it, 'Kashi. I want a real kiss." She pouted.

Kakashi smirked and kissed her on her lips. This one was longer and more deeper than any of the others the couple had shared. Kakashi abruptly pulled away, putting his mask back on. "The fireworks are about to start."

Haruki frowned. It was always like this with Kakashi. Anytime their kissing would turn less than innocent he stopped. She surprised both of them when she pinned Kakashi to the ground. Her kimono bunched up above her knees as she straddled his waist. "Why do you always do that?"

Kakashi's brain was mush at this point. "Do what?" _She's so cute when she's angry._

"You always just pull away. Do you just hate touching me that much?" Haruki squeaked as Kakashi sat up. She blushed when she realized her kimono had ridden up higher.

Kakashi gave her a very serious look. "I assure you, Haruki, that I most definitely don't hate touching you. That's the problem."

Haruki blinked. "How is that a problem?"

Kakashi sighed before pressing his forehead against Haruki's. "I just don't want to scare you away."

Haruki rolled her eyes. "I'm not a little kid or anything. I may be naïve but I'm not stupid or a total prude. If you want to have sex then just tell me. I'll decide if I'm ready or not."

Kakashi's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he chuckled. "I see Mikoto-san is rubbing off on you." His eyes turned mischievous. "So what if I said I wanted to do it right here, right now?"

Haruki blushed and peered over Kakashi's shoulders. "Well, I'd say it wouldn't be appropriate since Sasuke and Naruto are standing behind you."

Kakashi whipped around and sure enough, the two young boys were standing there, their eyes wide.

Naruto reacted first. "What are you doing to Haruki-sensei!?"

Kakashi sighed while Haruki giggled. He gave her a brief kiss. "Another time then." He pulled her out of his lap and situated her so she was sitting in between his legs, her back pressed to his chest.

Naruto and Sasuke ran over. Naruto sat to Haruki's left while Sasuke was on her right. Naruto glared angrily at Kakashi, muttering about perverts while Sasuke happily ate a caramel apple.

"There you are!" Mikoto skipped into the area, Fugaku close behind. She plopped down beside her son and pulled her husband down to sit beside her. She looked around. "Where's Itachi? I thought he said he would watch the boys."

"They ran off." Itachi said as he entered the area as well. He sat down and put Sasuke in his lap so that he was now sitting beside Haruki. He raised an eyebrow. "Haruki-san, why is your kimono…?"

Haruki looked down and blushed, realizing her kimono was still bunched up. She quickly pulled it down and laughed nervously. She didn't have to give a response though since the fireworks started a few moments later.

The group was oblivious to a pair of angry sharingan eyes staring at them.

* * *

**Sorry, I would've posted this earlier in the week but….it made Mei-chan get all blushy and nervous so it took me a while. Let me know what you guys thought!**


	44. Turn Back the Clock: Daughter

**Akatsuki Baby is officially one year old!!! I can't believe it's been that long since Itachi found little Emiko in the grass. I would like to say thank you to all of my reviewers, both new and old. You guys are the reason I keep writing. **

**Ivvy-sama: We'll probably return to Emiko in about four or five more chapters. I'm still trying to figure out what the three of them are going to do.**

* * *

"You ready, Haruki?"

Haruki looked up from her packing. "Almost, Kakashi." She pouted as she looked down at her Anbu mask. "I hate wearing this thing."

Kakashi walked into the room, already in his Anbu uniform. His mask was resting on top of his head. "You'll just have to deal with it for a few days."

Haruki pouted. "That doesn't change the fact that I hate it."

Kakashi walked over and hugged her from behind. "If you hate being an Anbu so much, why'd you join?"

Haruki shrugged. "My family said they couldn't be shown up by a bunch of Uchiha so they pushed me to take the test. It's fine though." She grinned over her shoulder. "I got to meet you because of it so I don't regret it."

Kakashi smiled and kissed her cheek. "Let's go."

* * *

The Anbu group sat up in the trees, silently watching their targets. A group of missing-nin from Konoha had gathered together. Their mission was to exterminate them.

Haruki shifted nervously on her tree branch. She hated killing with an undying passion. She hated the feeling of her kunai stabbing someone or her wind blades slicing into another person's flesh. She was in Anbu though, so she learned to bottle up all the deaths inside of her.

"Haru-chan, don't let your guard down." An Anbu beside her whispered.

Haruki smiled underneath her mask. "I know, Kijuu. I'll be careful."

Kakashi gave the signal and the group fell upon the missing-nin.

Haruki sliced her way through most of the group, making sure to make their deaths as quick and painless as possible. After a few moments, all the missing-nin had been slain. Haruki leaned against a tree, taking a deep breath. She felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to cry but she choked the tears back.

"We'll wait here until the retrieval team arrives." Kakashi said. He frowned when he saw Haruki's form shaking. The retrieval team arrived at that moment and he helped them gather all the bodies up. Once they were gone, he motioned for his team to follow him back to Konoha.

Haruki was silent the whole trip home. She didn't say a word as Kakashi gave his report to the Third Hokage. She idly remembered how a few years ago one of her best friends had sat at that chair. He was dead now. Lots of people were. Her parents had both been killed on a mission. Many of her friends had been killed or missing. She suddenly realized how alone she was.

Kakashi finished giving the report and grabbed Haruki's hand, leading her back to their now shared apartment. He didn't like how silent she was. As soon as they were in the apartment, he pulled both her mask and his own off. He wiped the tears that were already rolling down Haruki's cheeks. He led her over to the couch and sat down beside her, holding her close while she cried into his chest.

"Please don't cry, Haruki." Kakashi whispered.

"Everyone's gone, 'Kashi. I've only got you and Mikoto-chan left. If I lose either of you…"

"Don't be stupid. You're not going to lose either of us. Is it because of the mission?"

Haruki nodded. "I'm scared, 'Kashi. It feels like someone's watching me all the time. I've never felt so much anger and hatred directed at me from a person I can't even see."

Kakashi held her tighter. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

Haruki leaned up and kissed Kakashi. She clung to him as tightly as she could, afraid he would disappear. She didn't resist when Kakashi pulled her into his lap or even when he began kissing her roughly. She didn't protest when he stood up and led her to the bedroom.

* * *

"What do you mean you're late!?"

Haruki slapped a hand over Mikoto's mouth, smiling nervously at the patrons staring at them. She glared at the shocked Uchiha. "Keep it down! I don't want the whole village to know." She removed her hand and slurped up her ramen.

Mikoto took a gulp of her water. "So, are you…?"

Haruki shrugged helplessly. "I don't know."

Mikoto slapped some money down on the counter and began dragging Haruki through the village. "Well, let's go find out."

Haruki was nervous while Mikoto grabbed multiple pregnancy tests. "Do we really need that many?"

"It's just to ensure whether you really are or not." Mikoto paid for the tests and then dragged Haruki back to the Uchiha compound. "Where is Kakashi anyways?"

"Sandaime gave him a solo mission to complete. He's supposed to come back today." Haruki bowed nervously to all the Uchiha glaring at her.

Mikoto led Haruki to her bathroom. She shoved Haruki in and handed her the bag of pregnancy tests. "I'll get you some water."

After a few hours and a dozen pregnancy tests, Haruki felt like crying. Every single one of them said she was pregnant. "What am I gonna do, Mikoto-chan?"

"Tell him." Mikoto said plainly.

Haruki's brown eyes widened. "I can't do that! He'll hate me!"

Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think he would hate you?"

Haruki shrugged helplessly. "I don't think he's ready for children yet. We've only been together for seven months."

"Stop being so dramatic. If you don't tell him, I will." Mikoto skipped out of the room. "Tell him tonight. If he leaves you then he's a moron and he doesn't deserve you."

Haruki pouted. "You're so mean, Mikoto-chan." She followed after the Uchiha. "Will you help me going shopping? I need to pick up groceries for dinner tonight."

Mikoto and Haruki made their way to the grocery store. Both were silent. As Haruki inspected an orange, she felt a weight on her shoulder. She smiled down at her friend.

"So, is he any good?" Mikoto grinned.

"I'm going to shove this orange in your mouth if you don't shut up." Haruki blushed.

"You need to have a girl."

Haruki raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Mikoto rolled her eyes as though it were the most obvious reason in the world. "Since I don't have a daughter, you need to have one so I can play dress up with her."

Haruki giggled. "What if it's a boy? He could be friends with Sasuke."

"Sasuke does need more friends…" Mikoto thought idly.

"What are you two talking about?"

Haruki nearly dropped the orange in her hand. She turned around and smiled, tackling the unsuspecting Anbu captain to the ground. "Welcome home, 'Kashi!"

Kakashi smiled and stood up, hugging Haruki. "What were you two talking about?"

Haruki looked down, suddenly nervous. "Well…um…Kakashi…you see…um…"

"Oh for the love of…" Mikoto rolled her eyes. "She's pregnant with your baby."

Kakashi's visible eye widened. He looked down at his blushing and clearly nervous girlfriend. "Really? How long?"

Haruki shifted from one foot to another. "I just found out today. It's not even definite since I only used pregnancy tests. I haven't gone to the doctor."

"Yes, because 50 different pregnancy test are all going to lie to you. She's probably about one month in." Mikoto informed. She narrowed her eyes at Kakashi. "What do you think?"

Haruki squeaked as she felt strong arms wrap around her and spin her around.

Kakashi chuckled and put Haruki back on the ground, still holding her close to him. "That's awesome. Do you know whether it's a boy or a girl yet?"

"We won't know whether it's a boy or girl until her second trimester." Mikoto said. "She just finished her first month of her first trimester."

Haruki peeked up at Kakashi. "You're not mad?"

"Of course not." Kakashi smiled. "I would've liked us to have our first child when we were a little older but now is fine."

Mikoto grinned at the couple. "Well, good luck, Kakashi. You get to deal with her mood swings."

Kakashi laughed at Mikoto. "It's Haruki. How difficult can it be?"

* * *

"'Kashi, I want pickles." Haruki muttered.

Kakashi groaned and looked over at the clock. "We don't have anymore pickles. You ate them all."

"Then go to the store and get me some."

"Haruki, it's 2 in the morning. The store is closed." Kakashi yawned. "Just go back to sleep."

Haruki sat up in the bed and began crying. She was now in her second trimester and her stomach had grown quite a bit. "You hate me! It's because I'm fat now, isn't it? That's why you won't get me pickles. I bet if Anko asked you to you would."

Kakashi sighed and rolled out of the bed. "I'll be right back."

He dragged himself to the small corner store that was right by their apartment. He felt around the top of the door for the key the store owner left Kakashi for occasions such as these. He found the pickles and left the money on the counter, like he had been doing the past two months. He put the key back in its hiding place and went back to the apartment.

Haruki was curled up on the couch, waiting for him. She squealed and yanked the pickle jar from his hand. She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, 'Kashi."

Kakashi yawned. "I'm going back to bed."

"Before you do, can you get me some ramen?" Haruki grinned sheepishly.

Kakashi would've cried if he was anyone else. "But I just got you the pickles."

"I want some ramen too though." Haruki pouted. "The baby is really hungry."

Kakashi sighed and left the apartment again. He walked all the way to Ichiraku ramen and made his way to the kitchen area. There was a pot of ramen simmering on the stove top and a note beside it.

_Kakashi,_

_The ramen is already heated up and ready for Haruki. Just bring the bowl back later._

Kakashi put the ramen into a bowl and carried it back to his moody girlfriend. He found her still on the couch, the jar of pickles already finished off. He handed her the ramen and a pair of chopsticks. "Do you need anything else?"

Haruki smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm fine now. Sorry about that."

Kakashi shrugged and collapsed on the couch, resting his head against Haruki's swollen belly. "It's fine." He kissed her stomach. "So, we're going to find out whether it's a boy or a girl today, right?"

Haruki nodded as she slurped up her ramen. "I wish Tsunade-neechan was still here. I would've liked to have her be my doctor."

"I got a letter from Jiraiya." Kakashi muttered, already falling back asleep. "He says we should name it after him if it's a boy."

Haruki laughed. "No way!" She put the empty bowl down and ran her fingers through Kakashi's hair. "I'm going shopping with Mikoto tomorrow. Do you want to come?"

"Nah. I'll go shopping and stockpile the fridge with more pickles." Kakashi yawned and fell back asleep, soothed by Haruki's laughter.

* * *

"Congratulations." the doctor beamed at the nervous couple. "You two are going to have a baby girl."

Kakashi grinned and rubbed Haruki's stomach. Secretly, he had been hoping it would be a girl. He didn't like the idea of having a son and then a daughter. He'd be sad if he had to kill his son's friends for flirting with his daughter. Luckily, that would not be the case.

The couple walked into the waiting room where Mikoto and her sons were waiting. Haruki grinned at her friend. "It's a girl."

Mikoto squealed and began dancing around the room, ignoring the scandalized looks on the nurses and other patrons faces. "I can't wait to dress her up! What are you going to name here?"

Haruki looked at Kakashi. "We haven't really though up any names yet." She blinked when she felt tiny hands on her stomach. She smiled down at Sasuke.

Sasuke stared hard at Haruki's stomach. He began poking it. He placed his ear to Haruki's stomach to see if he could hear anything. He screamed and ran behind Itachi. "It kicked me!"

Itachi patted his head. "It's a she, Sasuke, not an it. She probably didn't like you poking her."

Sasuke stuck his tongue out at Haruki's stomach. "She's evil."

Fugaku stood up and patted Sasuke's head. "Most women are."

"So, is it a boy or a girl?" Sarutobi walked into the hospital. He smiled at the group.

Haruki smiled, placing her hand over her stomach. "It's going to be a girl."

Sarutobi nodded approvingly. "In that case, I would like to make a proposition to both the Senju and Uchiha family. If you could kindly follow me to my office, I'll explain everything."

The group followed the Sandaime to the Hokage tower and into his office. Mikoto and Haruki each sat in a chair while Fugaku and Kakashi stood beside them. Itachi stood on the other side of his mother and Sasuke situated himself in Mikoto's lap.

Sarutobi sat down behind his desk, fixing the group with a serious look. "I've already discussed the idea with the Senju elders and they think it's worth a try." He smiled at Sasuke. "How old are you, Sasuke?"

"I'm seven." Sasuke replied.

Sarutobi nodded his head. "The age difference won't be that bad then."

Mikoto and Haruki both looked curiously at Sarutobi. Mikoto spoke up first. "What is your idea, Sandaime-sama?"

Sarutobi smiled at the group. "Things between the Senju and Uchiha have always been tense. Even now, in this time of peace, there is much hatred between the two clans. I have proposed that, should Senju Haruki, great-granddaughter of the Nidaime, have a daughter, the girl and Uchiha Sasuke should marry, thus uniting the two clans."

The group was silent for a moment. Fugaku's face was hard. "You want my son to be engaged to a Senju?"

"Your wife is already best friends with a Senju. Why not have one for a daughter-in-law?" Sarutobi replied.

Mikoto squealed and turned sparkling eyes to Haruki. "We could be in-laws! Oh, that would be so adorable! My little Sasuke with your baby girl! It'll be so cute!"

Fugaku looked incredulously down at his wife. "You can't be serious."

Mikoto pouted up at her husband. "Oh, please, Fugaku! I think it would be adorable. Besides, maybe it will help restore the Uchiha's former glory."

Fugaku could feel a migraine coming on. He cut his eyes over to Kakashi. "What do you think?"

Kakashi was quiet for a moment. "I'm not too thrilled with the idea of my baby girl being engaged before she's even born. What do you think, Haruki?" He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

Haruki looked down at her stomach and placed a hand over it. She smiled when she felt her little baby kicking. "Why don't we let her and Sasuke decide?"

Mikoto looked down at her son. "Would you like to marry Haruki's baby girl?"

Sasuke frowned in confusion. "What does 'marry' mean?"

"It means that you'll spend your life with her. You'll have to love her, take care of her, and protect her."

Sasuke thought for a moment. "If I marry her, will it make the other girls leave me alone?"

Mikoto chuckled. "I'm sure it will."

Sasuke grinned. "Okay. I'll marry Haruki-san's baby girl."

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. "How are we going to find out her answer?"

Haruki smiled down at her stomach. "Baby, I have a question for you. Kick once for no, twice for yes. Do you remember the little boy that poked you." She smiled when she felt two kicks. Haruki motioned for Sasuke to come over. She took Sasuke's tiny hand in hers and placed it over her stomach. "Sasuke, talk to her."

Sasuke looked determinedly at Haruki's stomach. "Baby, the grown-ups want us to get married. If we get married, I'll protect you forever. I won't let anyone hurt you and if anyone makes you cry, I'll beat them up. So, do you wanna get married?" He frowned when he didn't feel the baby give a response. He beamed though when he felt two kicks. "She said yes!"

Sarutobi chuckled. "It's settled then."

* * *

Haruki pouted as she looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm fat."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and got off the bed. He wrapped his arms around Haruki's shoulders and kissed her head. "You are not fat. You are seven months pregnant with our baby girl."

Haruki smiled and leaned up to kiss him. "Mikoto-chan and the others will be here soon."

Kakashi groaned. "Why do you women insist on having baby showers?"

"So we don't have to buy so much stuff on our own. Do you know how expensive a crib is?"

"Somebody is buying us a crib?" Kakashi's eyes lit up. The couple had gone price checking and even the cheapest ones cost quite a bit.

Haruki brushed her hair and braided it. "Mikoto is."

A few hours later found Kakashi and Fugaku huddled in the kitchen while the women squealed over little outfits and socks. Both ran in when they heard Haruki's scream and Mikoto's laugh.

Haruki looked incredulously down at her stomach where in black sharpie marker it said, 'Property of Sasuke'.

Sasuke beamed proudly at Kakashi. "See? She's mine."

Kakashi sighed and walked over with a wet paper towel. He helped Haruki scrub the marker off. He plucked the marker out of Sasuke's hand and scribbled 'Property of Kakashi' on Haruki's stomach. "Much better."

Sasuke glared at the grown man. "Baby belongs to me!"

Kakashi glared back at the small child. "Well, she's currently inside Haruki who belongs to me!"

Haruki blinked and looked down when she felt someone stroking her stomach. She smiled nervously. "What are you doing, Itachi-kun?"

"I'm calming Baby-chan down."

Kakashi and Sasuke looked up from their glaring contest. Kakashi was the first to recover from the awkward sight. "I think you can stop now, Itachi."

Sasuke smiled and rested his head on Haruki's stomach. "Hurry up and come out so I can meet you." He screamed and ran behind Mikoto. "She kicked me again!"

* * *

Kakashi was awoken by Haruki shaking him violently. "What's wrong, Haruki?"

"My water just broke!" She almost screamed when Kakashi scooped her up and ran to the Uchiha compound.

He banged furiously at Fugaku and Mikoto's door. "Mikoto, where's her bag!?"

Mikoto bolted out of the house, a large bag over her shoulder. "Fugaku, I'm leaving! Be back later!"

A few hours later, Kakashi was pacing nervously out in the waiting room. He looked up when Mikoto skipped happily over to him. He followed her into Haruki's room.

Haruki smiled wearily up at him, a small bundle in her arms. "'Kashi…"

Kakashi sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing Haruki's hair down. He looked down at the small baby in Haruki's arms. He gently took the small baby girl from Haruki, smiling down at the baby's curious onyx eyes. "Hello, my beautiful baby."

Haruki nuzzled her head into Kakashi's shoulder. "What are we going to name her?"

Kakashi smiled as his baby girl held onto his finger. "Seika."

* * *

**And thus, Emiko was born. If any of you are wondering why what just happened in this chapter doesn't coincide with what Emiko's flashbacks have been, that will be explained later. Next weeks chapter will be Sasuke and Emiko (Seika)'s first meeting. Review and let me know what you thought!**


	45. Turn Back the Clock: First Meeting

**My sister's boyfriend is amazingly annoying. It's finally Spring Break guys! I'm going to out of town all week so that's why all the stories got updated before I leave. I would be a very happy authoress if I saw lots of reviews when I came home (nudge nudge). **

**Quick note: Seika means flower arrangement or fresh flowers.**

**AHHHH! This story has over 400 reviews! You guys are amazing! I heart all of you!**

**articwolfgirl347: Don't worry, Emiko-chan only views Itachi-kun as a big brother. Yes, the swearing has decreased since Hidan is no longer with us and Emiko fears Sasuke shoving soap in her mouth.**

**Ivvy-sama: I know the feeling of not having money for things you need. It sucks. I like writing all of them before all of the emo stuff happens. Sasuke was so cute when he was little.**

* * *

Sasuke peeked curiously around the entrance to the sitting room. He could see the grown-ups and Itachi all talking. He wasn't interested in what the grown-ups were talking about though. He was more interested in the squirming bundle in Haruki's arms. Sasuke hadn't been allowed to go to the hospital to see the new baby. Haruki had finally found time a month after Seika's birth to bring her to the Uchiha compound.

Haruki looked up and smiled when she saw Sasuke. "Come meet Seika, Sasuke."

Sasuke cautiously walked into the room. He went over to Haruki's side and peeked into the bundle in her arms. He scrunched his forehead together. "She's tiny."

Haruki laughed. "She's a baby, Sasuke. She's supposed to be tiny. Do you want to hold her?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Can I?"

Haruki nodded. "You have to promise to be careful. She's very fragile. Sit down."

Sasuke plopped down beside Haruki and held his arms open for her to put the baby in. He smiled when he felt the weight in his arms. His smile widened to a grin when his onyx eyes connected with Seika's. "Hi, Seika-chan. I'm your fiancé. It's nice to meet you."

Seika tilted her head to the side. She made a small noise in her throat and slapped Sasuke in the nose. She began giggling when Sasuke screamed.

Sasuke frowned down at her and slapped her hand. "Bad Seika! You're not supposed to hit!"

Haruki smiled at the spectacle. She turned her attention back to Mikoto. "Are you sure you're okay with watching her?"

Mikoto waved her hand dismissively. "It'll be fine. You be careful on your mission."

Haruki took Seika from Sasuke and kissed her baby's nose. She smiled when Seika squealed happily. "Mama will be back soon. Be good for Mikoto and her family."

* * *

"Itachi, make it stop!" Sasuke whined.

Both Mikoto and Fugaku had gone out shopping, leaving Sasuke and Itachi to take care of Sasuke. All had been well until Seika began crying for some inexplicable reason.

Itachi picked Seika up out of her play pin. He rocked her in his arms. "What's wrong, Seika? Are you hungry? Tired?"

Seika yawned sleepily, resting her tiny head on Itachi's shoulder.

"I'm going to put Seika down for a nap. You can keep playing, Sasuke." Itachi walked out of the room.

Sasuke pouted. He was Seika's fiancé. He was supposed to be the one taking care of her, not Itachi. His eyes widened as a thought came to him. Maybe Itachi was trying to steal Seika from him! He wouldn't let that happen. He ran out of the living room and into the hallway, waiting for Itachi to come out of Seika's room. Once Itachi was out of sight, Sasuke went into the room.

Seika was laying on her back. Her eyes were slowly sliding shut but at the sound of someone entering the room, she looked over. She made a happy noise in her throat.

Sasuke walked over to the crib and held onto the bars. "Seika, who do you like more; me or Itachi?"

Seika made a noise that almost sounded like a giggle.

Sasuke pouted. He pulled the side of the crib down and picked Seika up. He walked out of the room with her and went to his room. He laid down on his bed and let Seika rest on top of him. "You can take your nap in here, okay?"

Seika didn't respond for she was already sound asleep.

* * *

To say that Mikoto panicked when Seika wasn't in her crib was an understatement. "Itachi, where is she!? Haruki's going to be here to get her any minute!"

Itachi shrugged helplessly. "I put her in her crib for a nap."

"Mikoto-chan!" Haruki skipped into the house. "Where's Seika-chan?"

Mikoto laughed nervously. "Now, don't get angry Haruki…"

"Found her." Itachi whispered. He motioned the two women over to Sasuke's door.

Haruki and Mikoto both had to hold a squeal in. Sasuke was sound asleep on his bed with Seika sleeping on top of him on her stomach. Sasuke had one arm wrapped around Seika's back to keep her in place and Seika's small hand was clenching and unclenching Sasuke's shirt.

Haruki silently walked into the room and tried to take Seika from Sasuke without waking him but to no avail. She smiled at the boy's sleepy onyx eyes. "Go back to sleep, Sasuke."

Sasuke shook his head and sat up. He looked at Haruki. "I think Seika-chan likes Itachi more than me. She' supposed to like me more though since I'm her fiancé."

Haruki smiled and ruffled Sasuke's hair. "She's still a baby, Sasuke. I promise you though, if you show her as much love and tenderness as you were just showing her, she'll like you more in no time."

Sasuke's eyes brightened. "Really!?"

Haruki nodded. "I'm going to take her home now."

Sasuke nodded. "Um…Haruki-san…can I take Seika-chan to school for show-and-tell?"

* * *

**That's all you get until next week! Will Haruki allow Sasuke to take Seika to show and tell? What will Iruka do with a small baby in his classroom? How will the other students react. As soon as I figure that out, I'll let you know.**


	46. Turn Back the Clock: Show and Tell

**Hello, everyone! Spring Break is over for me which means it's time to get back to school and work. Blah. **

**If any of you are wondering why what's going on right now doesn't match up to what Emiko has been told, don't worry. I'll explain all of that later. **

**Jazzmine-shorti-Uchiha: Emiko means smiling child**

**ReadtheWritten: I'm not sure yet if there will be anyone with a crush on Emiko. Sakura02 and I have jokingly discussed possible candidates but never anything serious.**

**Ivvy-sama: I know! I don't want to get back to writing the emo stuff! I think I've got a fairly happy ending planned for this story so hopefully it will all work out. I hope you have fun on your Spring Break!**

* * *

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he opened the door. "What are you doing here, Sasuke? Shouldn't you be at school?"

Sasuke grinned. "I came to get Seika! Haruki-san said I could take Seika to school for show and tell."

Kakashi looked over his shoulder. "Haruki-chan, did you tell Sasuke he could take Seika with him to school?"

Haruki looked up from getting Seika dressed. "Well, yes. Iruka-san said it was fine so I don't see the harm."

Kakashi walked over, motioning for Sasuke to follow him. He picked Seika up and tickled her stomach, smiling when she giggled. He turned to Sasuke. "You must be very careful with her, Sasuke. If anything happens to her, I'll be forced to kill you."

Sasuke nodded enthusiastically. "Don't worry, Kakashi-san. I won't let anything happen to Seika."

To say that people were startled to see the youngest Uchiha strolling through the streets of Konoha with a baby stroller would be an understatement. Sasuke didn't care though. He enjoyed showing off the little baby to the world. When he entered his classroom, everyone stilled.

Iruka sighed. He had hoped that Kakashi wouldn't allow Sasuke to bring the small baby but that did not appear to be the case. He smiled at Sasuke. "Why don't you start show and tell today, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke pushed the stroller to the front of the classroom. Very carefully, as though he were dealing with a fragile piece of glass, he lifted Seika out of her stroller. He turned to his curious classmates and grinned. "This is Seika. She's my fiancé. If any of you make her cry or try to steal her from me, I'll kill you."

Iruka blinked slowly. "That's…nice Sasuke-kun. Why don't you take a seat at your desk?"

Sasuke walked to his desk with Seika still secure in his arms. He glared at all the other kids. He practically growled when Sakura approached him. "What do you want?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly at Sasuke. "Can I touch her?"

Sasuke looked down at Seika. He grinned when he felt her tiny hand holding onto his hand. He glared up at Sakura. "You have to be very careful with her."

Sakura nodded enthusiastically. She leaned forward. "Hello, Seika-chan. You're awfully tiny to be someone's fiancé."

Seika smiled innocently up at Sakura before her tiny hand grabbed onto Sakura's pink bangs. She giggled as she tugged on the clearly upset girl's hair.

"No, Seika, you can't do that." Sasuke swatted Seika's hand. "That's a bad thing to do, Seika."

Seika seemed to pout up at Sasuke, holding her tiny hand up to him. She giggled when he held her tiny hand in his.

"She's funny!" Naruto grinned as he bounded over. He tickled her stomach. "Hi, Sasuke's fiancé. You're really pretty, like Haruki-sensei."

Seika smiled and waved her other hand at Naruto. She let out a squeal of joy when Naruto grabbed her hand.

Sasuke glared at Naruto. He pulled Seika closer to his chest. "She's my fiancé. Go find your own."

Naruto glared back. "She smiled at me! That means she likes me!"

By this point, a majority of the kids were peering curiously at the baby. Hinata nervously stepped forward. "Um…Uchiha-san…may I hold Seika-chan?"

Sasuke stared at her dubiously for a moment. "You can only hold her if Seika wants you to hold her."

Hinata nervously looked at the baby. "Um…Seika-chan…would it be o-okay if I h-held you?"

Seika tilted her head to the side, seeming to appraise the nervous Hyuuga. A grin stretched onto her face and she held her arms out to Hinata.

Hinata smiled as she held the small baby in her arms. "Y-you r-remind me of my l-little sister."

Kiba stared at the baby nonchalantly. "I don't see what's the big deal." He began poking Seika in her cheek. "It can't even talk." Kiba let out a yelp. "It's biting me!"

Ino rolled her eyes. "She's not an it you idiot. She can't be biting you because she has no teeth."

"Well, fine, she's gumming me!" Kiba whined.

Chouji laughed as he popped a few chips into his mouth. "You're scared of a little baby."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You guys are all troublesome."

Shino sat in the corner of the classroom, watching all the commotion with only slight interest.

"Give her back!" Sasuke whined as he yanked Seika from Kiba. "You're upsetting her with all your whining."

Kiba glared at Seika's smiling face. "She seems fine to me!"

Iruka sighed. He had a feeling that no work was going to get done today.

* * *

Haruki smiled as she stood outside the school gate. She looked down when she felt a tug on her pants. "How was she today, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke grinned. "Everyone really liked her! Naruto and me taught her how to hold a kunai and Shino caught a butterfly for her and the girls made her a pretty flower wreath and Chouji tried to feed her chips and Shikamaru took a nap with her and Kiba kept whining that she was gumming his finger off."

Haruki blinked. "Well, you certainly had a fun day. Do you want to stay for dinner tonight?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in excitement. "Can I?"

Haruki smiled and nodded. "Your mother already said it was okay. Let's hurry home now." Haruki helped Sasuke put Seika back in her stroller. She smiled as Sasuke began pushing the stroller down the street. She glared over her shoulder when she felt someone watching her. "Whoever you are, you aren't going to hurt my baby."

"Haruki-san, hurry up!" Sasuke called.

Haruki smiled at him. "I'm coming!" She began walking forward. As she spoke, her voice lost the normal light it held. "If you hurt any of my precious people, I'll make sure your death is a slow and painful one."

The red eyes watched her from the trees, a smirk adorning the man's face. "I'd like to see you try." He whispered.

* * *

**My hamster escaped from it's cage at like 3:30 this morning and my dog wouldn't stop barking. I missed my biology class (which wasn't necessarily a bad thing). **

**I hope you all enjoyed this weeks chapter. I love writing about baby Sasuke. He's so adorable. **

**Review and let me know your thoughts!**


	47. Turn Back the Clock: Family Picnic

**So sorry for the lack of updates last week. If it makes you feel any better, I twisted my ankle running a mile. It hurts. And I now have like fifteen shirts in my closet. **

**I can't believe we're almost to chapter 50. **

**Ivvy-sama: Yes, Seika is a smart little baby. I'm really not sure who she gets it from, considering who both her parents are. **

**cheeky half-demon: Unfortunately, we're getting very close to the scene where Haruki must take Seika and leave Kakashi. **

**xNidelli0501x****: Yay! It's always exciting to get a new, avid reader. I look forward to all your reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy the story! **

**Thank you to everyone else who reviewed. You guys are super awesome and if I could give you all cookies, I totally would!**

* * *

Haruki shot up in bed and ran to Seika's room. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her beautiful baby still there. Haruki picked her sleeping daughter up and held her close. "I'm not letting him take you from me. He's taken enough from me but he won't have you. I won't let him."

"Haruki," Kakashi yawned as he leaned against the door. "what's wrong? You got out of bed so suddenly I thought something had happened."

Haruki smiled at Kakashi. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. I just had a bad dream. You go on back to bed. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Kakashi nodded sleepily as he dragged himself back to the bedroom.

Haruki sat on the windowsill. She continued holding her sleeping baby. "You can't have her. Just leave us alone." She whispered to the darkness.

Kakashi found Haruki that way in the morning. He smiled when he saw her leaning against the window, sound asleep. She was still holding Seika close to her and muttering in her sleep. He really didn't want to wake her up but he knew that she couldn't possibly be comfortable sleeping in that position. "Haruki, wake up."

Haruki's brown eyes opened. She smiled sheepishly up at Kakashi. "Sorry about that, Kakashi. I meant to come back. I guess I just fell asleep. What time is it anyways?"

Kakashi grinned. "Almost noon."

Haruki stumbled to stand. She almost lost her grip on Seika but quickly regained her balance. "Why didn't you wake me sooner!?"

Kakashi chuckled. "You looked so adorable. I couldn't bring myself to wake you up."

Haruki huffed and as she cooed to her little baby. "Your daddy is such a weirdo, don't you agree?"

Seika made a gurgling noise in the back of her throat. She reached out her tiny hands to her daddy. She blew a spit bubble when he took her away from her mommy.

Kakashi gave his daughter an Eskimo kiss. "Your mommy is so cranky when she wakes up, isn't she?"

Haruki folded her arms over her chest. "Shut up." She looked out the window and smiled. "It's so pretty today." She clapped her hands together and grinned at Kakashi. "Let's go on a picnic!"

Kakashi looked up from playing peek-a-boo with Seika. "That sounds fun." He grinned down at his daughter. "Do you want to go on a picnic?"

Seika smiled up at her father.

A few minutes later found Kakashi and Haruki walking out of their apartment. Seika was strapped into her stroller and Kakashi was pushing her, occasionally running to make his baby girl laugh. Haruki carried the basket, smiling. She enjoyed days like this. No missions, no fighting. Just her, the man she loved, and their beautiful baby daughter. It almost made her forget about the man in the shadows.

The little family sat on a small blanket in the middle of one of the training grounds. Haruki fed Seika while Kakashi brought out his and Haruki's food. Seika lay on her back on the blanket while her parents ate. Her big onyx eyes absorbed everything around her. She saw birds chirping in the trees, the leaves rustling in the wind, and a frightening pair of red eyes. She began crying at the top of her tiny lungs.

Kakashi scooped Seika up. "What's wrong, Seika?" He cooed softly to his daughter, attempting to quell her tears.

At that moment, a ninja appeared. "Kakashi-san, Hokage-sama has requested your presence."

Kakashi frowned as he looked down at his crying baby. "What is it?"

"There is a mission he wishes for you to take on." The ninja responded.

Kakashi sighed before handing the still crying Seika over to Haruki. "I'll see the two of you later."

Haruki nodded as she watched Kakashi and the ninja disappear. She glared over into the dark trees. "Show yourself, bastard!" She growled and held her child close to her as the man she wished to never see again stepped out of the shadows. "Uchiha Madara."

Madara smirked at her. "It's so nice to see you again, Haruki-chan. My, how you've grown."

Haruki narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you want?"

"That man, what is he to you?" Madara asked.

Haruki's eyes widened for only a fraction of a second. _He doesn't know! He doesn't know that Kakashi is Seika's father! _"He's a friend. He's helping me to take care of my baby."

Madara made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat. "I expected better of you, Haruki-chan. You used to be such a good girl and now I find you with a baby and no ring on your finger."

Haruki cooed to Seika to try and quell her baby's tears. "What do you want? You're upsetting my daughter."

Madara chuckled. "You know exactly why I'm here. I'm going to annihilate you and the rest of your family, including that child of yours."

"Don't you touch her!" Haruki yelled. "Leave my baby alone!" The air around Haruki became violent. "Fuujin no Kaimetsu(1)!"

Madara barely had time to avoid that violent blades of wind that were shot at him. He leapt into a tree and laughed mockingly down at Haruki. "Soon! Soon I will take everything from you just as your clan has taken everything from me!" He disappeared.

Haruki collapsed to her knees. She took in deep, shaky breaths to try and calm herself. She had to do something. She had to protect Kakashi and Seika from Madara. How though? How could she possibly protect them from the man that had killed her parents? She snapped out of her reverie when she heard Seika's wails of fear. "Shhh, my baby. Don't cry. It's okay. Mama won't let that man hurt you."

Fugaku was startled when he opened his door to find a clearly distraught Haruki standing there with an equally distraught Seika in her arms. "Are you okay?"

Haruki gave Fugaku a shaky smile. She knew this was probably making him very uncomfortable. "Is Mikoto-chan home?"

Fugaku nodded and allowed the upset woman into his house. He led her into the small sitting room. "I'll get Mikoto."

Sasuke walked in. He frowned when he saw Seika was crying. "What's wrong with Seika, Haruki-san?"

Haruki held Seika out to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, will you watch Seika for a few minutes while I talk to your mother?"

Sasuke walked over and carefully held Seika in his arms. He smiled when she stopped crying. "I'll show you my new kunai, Seika-chan."

Mikoto walked in as her son was departing. She ran over to her friend and hugged her. "What happened!?"

Needing something to anchor her to reality, Haruki clung to Mikoto like she was her lifeline. "I spoke to him today. He wants to kill my baby."

Mikoto's eyes widened. "We have to tell Hokage-sama!"

Haruki shook her head. "I don't want to get anymore people involved. Could you watch Seika for a few days?"

Mikoto frowned. "Where are you going? Where's Kakashi?"

"Kakashi went on a mission. I…I'm going to go see Granny Cat. I have to find a way to protect Kakashi and Seika." Haruki bit out. She was trying her best not to cry. "I…I'll be back in a few days. Please keep Seika safe for me."

Mikoto nodded, hugging her friend tighter. "You're not alone, Haruki. If you need help, don't be ashamed to ask."

Haruki nodded and shakily stood to her feet. "I'm going to go say goodbye to Seika." She walked to Sasuke's room and smiled at the sight before her.

Sasuke had Seika sitting in his lap and he was showing her all kinds of ninja weapons. Seika's eyes would light up and she tried to touch them but Sasuke scolded her. When she began crying, Sasuke hugged her and kissed her cheek, whispering to her that everything was okay and to not cry.

"Sasuke-kun, I need to say goodbye to Seika." She took Seika from Sasuke and walked outside with her. She smiled down at her baby. "Seika, Mama is going away for a little while. Sasuke-kun's family is going to take care of you. Be a good girl."

"Are you sure that's okay, Haruki-san?" Itachi leaned against the doorframe.

Haruki smiled at him. "Yes, it's for the best. You won't let him hurt her, right?"

Itachi nodded. "I won't let him touch a hair on her head." He was startled when Haruki put Seika down on the porch and embraced him. Hesitantly, he returned the hug. "Haruki-san…"

"I'm sorry, Itachi-kun. I know I shouldn't ask for your help but…"

Itachi held Haruki away from him. "It's okay. I'll take good care of her while you're gone."

Haruki smiled up at him. "If anything happens to me…"

"Don't say things like that. It's bad luck. Nothing will happen to you."

Haruki nodded and picked Seika back up. She handed her daughter over to Itachi. "I'll be back soon." With that, she was gone.

* * *

**Umm…this WAS supposed to be a happy chapter but…my sad playlist came on and this was what came out. Only a couple more chapters before we get back to the main plotline. Review please!**

**(1) Fuujin no Kaimetsu-Wind God of Destruction**


	48. Turn Back the Clock: Babysitting

**The Dragonball movie was horrible! They murdered my childhood memories! But, it was pretty funny so, I guess it kind of balances out.**

**The poll is closed now and Yes won by one vote. Now, I said I wouldn't change the original plan unless either one won by a huge landslide. So, it's still up in the air. Please, if you have any good reasoning as to why it should be yes or no, pm me or Sakura02. It will greatly help us in our planning of Akatsuki Baby.**

**Sakura02: It's not my fault everything turns out emo! You knew this story was going to be emo from the beginning so nyah!**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed.**

* * *

"We're leaving, Itachi!" Mikoto called from the foyer. "Take care of Seika-chan and Sasuke! We'll be back late so don't wait up!"

Itachi sighed. He looked down at the small baby in his arms and smiled. "Well, what should we do first, Seika-chan?"

Seika giggled when her stomach growled.

"Dinner it is." Itachi carried Seika into the kitchen and began preparing her bottle. He smiled at the small baby squirming in his arms. "Please be patient. Dinner will be ready in a minute."

"Itachi," Sasuke walked into the room pouting "I'm hungry. When's dinner?"

"As soon as I've fed Seika, I'll feed you." Itachi answered.

Sasuke pouted. "I want to feed Seika. Can I? Please?"

Itachi glanced over his shoulder at his pleading brother. "You have to be very careful when you're feeding her. You have to take the bottle away after a few seconds so she can breathe."

Sasuke nodded his head vigorously. "I can do that!"

Itachi handed Seika to Sasuke and then handed him the bottle. "I'll fix dinner while you feed her." As Itachi fixed Sasuke and himself some sandwiches, he watched his brother feeding Seika. He almost smiled at the look of concentration on Sasuke's face as he made sure to take the bottle away from Seika so she could take a breath. He placed a sandwich on the table in front of Sasuke.

Sasuke held his sandwich in one hand while he cradled Seika with one arm. He alternated between taking a bite of his sandwich and snuggling Seika. "Hey, Itachi," Sasuke said after he finished his sandwich. "you know Seika's my fiancé, right?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes, I am very well aware of that fact."

Sasuke gave Seika an Eskimo kiss. It always made her giggle when he did that. "So why are you trying to take her from me?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Sasuke puffed his cheeks out and pointed an accusing finger at Itachi. "You're always holding her and playing with her! You're trying to steal my fiancé away from me!"

Itachi sighed. "Sasuke, I assure you, I'm not trying to steal Seika from you."

"Liar!" Sasuke yelled and quickly bolted out of the room.

It took Itachi a moment to react. As soon as he came to his senses, he ran out after his little brother. "Sasuke!" By the time he reached the street, Sasuke was no where to be seen. He asked every person he saw if they had seen Sasuke. No one had.

Itachi sighed as he leaned against a building. It had been nearly an hour since Sasuke ran off with Seika. He wasn't surprised when he realized it was Haruki's apartment building that he had wandered to. It has always fascinated him how Haruki and Mikoto could be best friends despite their thirteen year age difference. His mind wandered to his first memory of Haruki. He had been five at the time and a fourteen year old Haruki had agreed to baby-sit him while his mother and father went out. He remembered how pretty she was in her blue sundress and the dazzling smile she had given him.

"Go away!"

Itachi glared up at the tiny head poking out of the third story window. "Uchiha Sasuke if you don't get down here with Seika right now, you're going to be in big trouble."

Sasuke stuck his tongue out. "No way! You're going to steal Seika from me."

"If you don't get down here by the time I count to ten, I'm telling Mom." Itachi smirked as Sasuke's head quickly disappeared.

A few seconds later, Sasuke was standing in front of Itachi with Seika clutched tightly in his arms. Sasuke glared at Itachi. "Seika's my fiancé! Go find your own!"

Itachi rolled his eyes and knelt to Sasuke's level. "Sasuke, I swear to you, I'm not going to take Seika away from you. Mother entrusted both you and Seika to me while they went out. I'm simply doing my job."

Sasuke looked at Itachi with a guarded expression. "Promise?"

"I promise." Itachi answered. "Now, let's go home."

"Can I carry Seika?" Sasuke asked.

"If you promise not to run off again."

The two Uchiha's made their way through Konoha. Sasuke cradled Seika lovingly in his arms the whole way back to their house. Seika simply absorbed all of her surroundings. Once the trio reached the house, Itachi gave Sasuke a firm look.

"It's time for a bath, Sasuke." Itachi said sternly.

Sasuke pouted. "Can Seika take a bath with me? She needs one too."

Itachi sighed. "You have to hold onto her." Itachi walked to the bathroom with Sasuke close on his heels. He began running the water, making sure it was neither too hot nor too cold. Once the bath was filled up, he waited patiently for Sasuke to get into the bath. He gently placed Seika in Sasuke's arms.

Seika let out a squeal as Sasuke splashed water onto her. She clapped her hands excitedly and began hitting the water with her tiny hands.

Sasuke grinned up at Itachi. "Seika likes taking baths!"

Itachi smiled. "That's good. Do you want to wash her?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Can I?" He grinned when his brother nodded. It took Sasuke about thirty minutes to clean the small girl. He very gentle shampooed her hair, making sure not to let any soap suds get into her eyes. Once he was done cleaning her, Itachi took Seika out and dried her off.

"You bathe yourself while I get Seika ready for bed." Itachi said as he walked out of the room.

"Can Seika sleep in my room?" Sasuke yelled.

"Yes." Itachi answered. He figured it was best to not try and separate Sasuke from Seika.

Sasuke quickly finished bathing and dried himself off. He ran into his room in time to see Itachi put Seika in her cradle. He tiptoed into the room when he saw Seika was already asleep and quietly put his pajamas on. He crawled into his bed and grinned up at Itachi. "Good night, Itachi."

Itachi ruffled his brother's hair. "Good night, Sasuke."

* * *

Itachi wasn't sure if it was the thunder or his brother and Seika's screaming that woke him up. Probably the screaming. He ran into his little brother's room to find Sasuke holding Seika and sitting in the middle of his bed. "What's wrong?"

Tears spilled from Sasuke's eyes. "The thunder scared Seika and she started crying. I can't get her to stop."

Itachi gently took Seika from Sasuke. "Lay down, Sasuke." Once Sasuke had laid back down, Itachi lay beside him. He put the still crying Seika on his chest and hummed softly to her. "Shhh, Seika, don't cry." When that didn't work, Itachi began singing softly to the little girl. Sasuke was curled up against his side. His tears had finally stopped flowing. Itachi wasn't sure whether the thunder or Seika's tears had caused Sasuke's own. Itachi sang until both his little brother and Seika were sound asleep. This posed a problem for Itachi. He knew if he moved, the two would wake up and he'd have to start the process over again. Resigned to his fate, Itachi got comfortable on the little bed and closed his eyes.

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**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review and let me know your thoughts!**


	49. Turn Back the Clock: Father Daughter Day

**Hello again, everyone! THERE IS A CONTEST POSTED ON MY PROFILE!!! GO CHECK IT OUT, PLEASE!**

**ReadtheWritten: I don't think I'm taking longer the normal. I update every Monday just like a promised. Hmmm, maybe it's because the chapters have been a little short?**

**Ivvy-sama: I hope this doesn't wind up being 400+ chapters long. I think I would cry. It's okay that you didn't review last week! I still luff youz!**

**Sakura02: You and your obsession with emo chapters. Fine! I'll write a cute chapter this week but I won't like it! (pouts in corner)**

**audry: I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean. Do you mean the story as a whole or these filler chapters. Also, I'm not sure what 'hust' is. Did you mean just or rushed? If you're talking about the fillers than yes they have a point. If you're talking about the story as a whole then of course it's going to go somewhere. That's what stories do.**

**Kendansa: I read your story and I thought it was really good! I haven't gotten a chance to review yet, though. Sorry!**

**Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed!**

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Kakashi quickly filed his report for the mission and made his way home. He was eager to see his Haruki and Seika. "Haruki-chaaan~!" He sang as he entered the apartment. He blinked when he realized no one was in the apartment. He went into the kitchen to get a glass of water and noticed a note on the table.

_Kakashi_

_I was called away on a top secret mission. Seika is over at Mikoto's. See you soon._

_Love,_

_Haruki_

Kakashi smiled and put the note in his pocket. He made his way over to the Uchiha compound and knocked on the door, eager to spend this rare alone time with his daughter. He grinned when Mikoto answered the door. "Hello, Mikoto. I'm here to pick up Seika."

Mikoto smiled and led Kakashi into the living room. "She's been such a little angel. Her and Sasuke have been getting along so well."

Sasuke was laying on the floor with Seika on his chest. He was popping the little spit bubbles his baby fiancé made and giving her Eskimo kisses. He pouted when he saw Kakashi walk in. "Are you gonna take Seika away?"

Kakashi smiled and knelt beside Sasuke. He took his daughter away from the pouting Uchiha child. "Yes. I'm sure we'll be back over in the next few days though." He took Seika's hand in his and made her wave at Sasuke. "Say bye-bye, Seika."

Seika blew a spit bubble.

Kakashi walked out of the Uchiha compound with his tiny daughter in his arms. "What should we do today, Seika? Your mama won't be home for a few days so it'll just be the two of us." He smiled as his two month old daughter grabbed his finger. "You're just so cute. Just like your mother."

Once they were in the apartment, Kakashi put Seika down on her little blanket that they kept in the living room. He went into his and Haruki's room for a few seconds before returning with something behind his back. "If I show this to you, Seika, you have to promise not to tell your mother."

Seika waved her arms in the air.

Kakashi sat down on the ground and put his daughter in his lap. He pulled a velvet blue box out from behind his back and opened it, revealing a ring. The ring band was silver with five diamonds on it, the diamond sizes growing as it reached the center. He smiled as his daughter's eyes widened. "This is for your mother. I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Seika reached out with her chubby baby fingers to try and take the ring out of it's box. She pouted when her father pulled it out of her reach.

Kakashi smiled. "This isn't for you, Seika. When you're older, you'll get one from your most beloved person." He closed the box and put it on the coffee table. He laid down on his back and lifted Seika up into the air, grinning at the delighted squeal that came from his daughter. "I wish you could just stay this size forever. It's going to be so troublesome when you grow up and I have to chase boys off."

Seika reached down to her father, her small hands opening and closing.

Kakashi brought her down so her tiny feet danced just above him in the air. "Oh, if my sensei could see me now. He'd probably laugh at me."

Seika began to cry.

"Ah, it's dinnertime, isn't it?" Kakashi stood up with Seika in his arms and walked into the kitchen. He pulled one of her bottles out of the refrigerator and sat down at the dining room table to feed his daughter. Once she had downed her bottle, Kakashi gently burped his daughter.

Kakashi spent the next few hours playing with Seika. He read to her before giving her a bath. Then, it was the time he hated the most. It was time to put Seika to bed. He dressed Seika in a pair of footy pajamas and placed her in her crib.

Seika flailed around her crib and began crying. She wasn't ready to go to bed.

Kakashi tried to do what Mikoto had told him to do. He turned off the light and left the room, shutting the door behind him. After listening to Seika cry for an hour, he went back into the room. "Seika, please go to sleep." He said quietly and in what he hoped was a soothing voice.

Seika began crying louder.

Kakashi felt his patience wearing thin. He was tired and wanted to go to bed. "Seika," he said a little more sternly. "go to sleep."

She began screaming.

"Seika Senju-Hatake," He yelled "go to sleep this instant!"

Seika was silent for only a moment before her crying resumed, louder than ever.

Kakashi panicked. He ran over to her crib and picked her up, bouncing her up and down in his arms. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to yell! Please stop crying!"

Seika began calming down as her father held her. She snuggled into him.

Kakashi sighed as Seika's crying began to subside. The minute he tried to put her back in her crib, she started crying again. He picked her up. "I guess I don't have a choice." He carried Seika into his and Haruki's room and laid down on the bed with Seika in his arms. He smiled as his daughter's eyes began drooping shut. "You can't sleep when your mama isn't here, can you?"

Seika blew a tiny spit bubble.

Kakashi stroked her hair. "That's okay. I can't either." He kissed his daughter's forehead. "Good night, Seika." He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

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**Yes, I know, it's short. I had to study for a biology test so I wrote this on my tiny breaks I gave myself. I hope you still enjoyed it though. Remember to go check out the contest on my profile and don't forget to review!**


	50. Turn Back the Clock: Granny Cat

**AHHHHH! We're on chapter 50! I can't believe it! Thank you so much to all you that have been here since the beginning and to all of you that have just started. I can't tell you enough how awesome you all are!**

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Haruki stood outside the abandoned building. The blue kimono she wore whipped around her in the wind. She took a deep breath and pushed her hair from her face before entering the building. She smiled at the two ninja cats that were waiting for her. "Hello, Denka and Hina. You two seem well."

"It's been quite a while, Haruki-chan." Denka said. "I trust this is not any ordinary visit?"

Haruki's smiled vanished. "No. I need to speak with Granny Cat." She followed the cats through the building until they reached the room with Granny Cat. Haruki knelt in front of the old lady to show her respect. "Thank you for seeing me, Granny Cat."

Granny Cat tilted her head to the side and nodded. "It's very rare for one of the Senju Clan to come and see me, especially you. What is it that you need from me?"

Haruki clenched the fabric of her kimono. "He's after my baby. I…I can't allow Kakashi and her to be endangered any longer. Believe me, this is may absolute last resort. The way I am now, there's no way I could protect the two of them."

Granny Cat sighed. "You realize that it may not work, right? Memory altercation is a very new and unstable science right now. If the person's will is strong enough, the memory altercation may not work."

"I know." Haruki said softly. "I don't have any choice though. Madara doesn't realize that Kakashi is Seika's father. He doesn't know we're together. Even if I can slightly alter Kakashi's memories so he forgets we were together, then that'll be enough. As for Seika…" Haruki's voice trailed off as tears rolled down her cheeks. "she's still a baby so it will be easy to alter her memories. She probably won't even remember me when she grows up."

"How exactly do you plan on administering the medicine to Kakashi. I don't think I need to remind you that he's a Anbu captain." Granny Cat hoped that she could talk Haruki out of her plan. "Surely he and Mikoto's family could protect you and your baby."

Haruki shook her head. "I refuse to endanger their lives like that. As for giving Kakashi the drug, I'll just cook it into his dinner. Once he's asleep, I'll take Seika and run far away from Konoha so he'll be safe."

"If you plan to take your daughter with you, why do you need to give her the drug?" Granny Cat asked.

Haruki smiled sadly. "She won't be with me for long. I…I know that I won't live to see my baby grow up. Madara wants nothing less than the annihilation of the Senju. I'll find a good home for her to grow up in. A home that's hidden away from the ninja world. A home where my baby's life won't revolve around death and hatred."

Granny Cat sighed. She pulled a small packet of powder out of her sleeve and handed it to Haruki. "You know the price."

Haruki took the packet and handed some money over to Granny Cat. "I have something else for you." Haruki pulled a small photo out of her obi. She handed it over to Granny Cat. "It's a picture of Sasuke and Seika. I thought you might like to have it."

Granny Cat took the picture and smiled. "My, they are both quite adorable." She looked up as Haruki stood up. "Take care, Haruki."

Haruki clutched the packet tightly in her hands before finally placing it in her obi. Her heart tightened painfully in her chest with each step she took. With a heavy heart she began to plan on how to trick Kakashi to take the drug. She knew it would take a few hours for the drug to take effect. Hopefully, he would be asleep during those hours. That would give Haruki time to prepare Seika for their journey. She'd have to figure out a way to shake the Anbu that would surely come after her.

"What's a pretty princess like you doing crying out here by herself?" A familiar voice chuckled.

Haruki looked up and smiled. "Jiraiya-jichan!" She ran over and hugged the legendary sannin tightly. "It's so good to see you again!"

Jiraiya laughed and hugged Haruki. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

Haruki shifted nervously. She refused to meet Jiraiya's gaze. "I was on a mission. I just finished and was returning to Konoha."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. Haruki was lying to him. He brushed it off and grinned. "I heard you've got a little baby girl now. Tell me, who's the father?"

Again, Haruki refused to look in his eyes. "I'm not sure."

Jiraiya frowned. Something was definitely up. He ruffled Haruki's hair. "Why don't you come with me and we'll have a few drinks? You're old enough to drink now, aren't you?"

Haruki huffed as she looked up at him. "Of course I am! But," her voice quieted. "I really should be getting home. Kakashi-san is watching Seika for me."

Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense. You can be a little late coming back. Come on. I'll pay."

Haruki sighed before smiling. "I guess a few drinks wouldn't hurt."

Jiraiya slung an arm over Haruki's shoulders. "That's the spirit!" He led her to a small town that was only a few miles away. They entered the first bar they came to.

Haruki sipped at the sake, wincing as the bitter liquid rolled down her throat. She rolled her eyes as Jiraiya hit on their waitress. "You haven't changed a bit."

Jiraiya ruffled her hair. "Well you have. Last time I saw you, you were a scared little chunin. Now, you're an Anbu with a baby." He sniffled. "Children these days grow up so fast."

Haruki rolled her eyes and gave him a playful shove. "Please, I'm hardly a child. Have you seen Tsunade-neesan lately?"

Jiraiya sighed and shook his head. "She's pretty good at hiding when she doesn't want to be found."

Haruki nodded in agreement. "I was hoping to find her so she could be my doctor while I was pregnant but we could never track her down."

"So, is it a boy or a girl?" Jiraiya downed his sake in one gulp.

"It's a girl. Her name's Seika and she's about two months old now." Haruki smile was both sad and wistful. "She's going to be so pretty when she grows up."

Jiraiya observed Haruki quietly. "Does she look like you."

"For the most part. She has her daddy's eyes though." Haruki took another sip of her sake.

"I thought you didn't know who the father was." Jiraiya grinned at the surprised look on Haruki's face.

Haruki quickly recovered. "Well, they're aren't my eyes so they'd have to be her father's eyes, right?"

"Hmm," Jiraiya refilled his glass. "good point."

After a few more drinks, Haruki stood up. "Well, I better get going. I want to get to Konoha before tomorrow night."

Jiraiya stood up as well. "You sure you don't want to stay here tonight?"

Haruki smiled. "No. I really want to see my baby girl."

Jiraiya sighed. "All right then. You be careful now. I'll see you soon."

Haruki hugged Jiraiya goodbye. "Goodbye, Jiraiya-jichan." She quickly dashed out of the bar. Tomorrow was the day. She would sacrifice her happiness in order to protect her two most precious people. She wasn't going to let Uchiha Madara win. She would make sure he never had the satisfaction of hurting her loved ones.

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**Aw, next week's chapter is gonna be all emo. I don't wanna go back to writing the emo stuff! Review and let me know your thoughts!**


	51. Turn Back the Clock: Goodbye

**Hello again, everyone! Wow, this story almost has 500 reviews. I never thought it would be this popular. I'm so happy! You guys are amazing!**

**I have finals all this week which sucks! I don't wanna take Biology on Wednesday!!**

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Haruki stuffed her hand into her pocket to reassure herself that the packet was still there. She had been doing that all the way back to Konoha. She hesitated just before the reaching the gates to Konoha. She could always run off by herself. Maybe Madara would just come after her and leave everyone else alone.

No, she knew that was only wishful thinking. Madara wanted her to suffer. He would kill all of those that were precious to her. She had to do it. She had to protect everyone.

She smiled and bowed to the gate keepers before making her way to her home. She had to bite her bottom lip to keep the tears at bay. If Kakashi saw her crying, he'd know something was wrong. He might try to find out what it was and she'd probably tell him. He'd convince her to stay and that would put everyone in danger.

Before she knew it, she was standing outside her apartment door. She pulled the key out and unlocked the door. What she saw when she opened the door made her heart twist painfully in her chest. She almost decided to risk it and just stay in Konoha with Kakashi.

Kakashi was sound asleep on the couch with Seika secure in his arms. His arm that wasn't holding Seika was slung over his face to block the setting sun that was seeping through the curtains. Seika was sleeping on her stomach with her face away from the window. Her tiny hands were clenching and unclenching Kakashi's shirt.

When Haruki shut the door behind her, Kakashi's eyes opened and he sat up. Haruki smiled at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

Kakashi smiled and walked over to Haruki, Seika still in his arms. He pulled Haruki into a tight embrace and kissed her. "It's okay. We missed you. Seika didn't like going to sleep without her mommy."

Haruki smoothed Seika's hair down and took her from Kakashi. She cooed when her baby opened her eyes. "I'm sorry. Did you have fun with just you and Daddy?"

Seika frowned and blew a spit bubble. Something was wrong with her mommy.

Haruki smiled up at Kakashi. "Why don't we drop her off at Mikoto's for tonight? I'm sure Seika would like to spend the night with Itachi-kun and Sasuke."

Kakashi grinned. "Sounds good."

Haruki took her time packing Seika's overnight bag. She smiled sadly as she watched Kakashi playing with their daughter. This would be the last time Kakashi would ever see his daughter again. Haruki had to turn away from the sight so that she wouldn't start crying.

The little family made their way to the Uchiha Compound. When Haruki knocked on the door, it was Itachi that answered. Haruki smiled at him. "Is it okay for Seika to stay here tonight?"

Itachi searched her eyes for a moment. He nodded and took the overnight bag and Seika from Haruki. "Mother and Father are out right now. I'll let them know when they come back."

Kakashi tickled Seika's stomach and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow, Seika." He took Haruki's hand and led her away from the Uchiha Compound.

Haruki laced her and Kakashi's fingers together as the two walked back to the apartment. She held his hand tightly as they got closer and closer to their little home. "Kakashi, what do you want for dinner tonight?"

Kakashi thought for a moment. "Whatever you feel like cooking is fine. It'll taste good no matter what it is."

"Yaki Soba it is then." Haruki smiled up at Kakashi. She wanted to remember this moment forever. She wanted to remember Kakashi smiling at her. She wanted to remember Kakashi holding her hand. She didn't want to let go.

Once inside the apartment, Haruki went straight into the kitchen. "Kakashi," she called "could you go to the store and get some sake? We're all out."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Haruki usually didn't like drinking. He shrugged it off. "Sure. I'll be back in a few minutes."

As soon as Haruki heard the door click shut, she pulled the large packet out of her pocket. She took a deep breath as she pulled a small kitchen knife out of one of the drawers. She pricked her finger and let her blood drip into the packet where it mixed with the white powder. Granny Cat had assured her that the powder was both odorless and tasteless. Mixing her blood with the powder would insure that it was memories of her that were altered and nothing else. Granny Cat had also warned her that the powder could take a few hours to take affect.

By the time Kakashi came back from the store, Haruki had finished cooking dinner and set everything out. She had made sure to sprinkle the powder only on Kakashi's food. She smiled when he came in. "It takes almost an hour to get sake from around the corner?"

Kakashi laughed sheepishly. "Well, there was the old lady…"

Haruki held her hand up. "Say no more. Hurry up and sit down before the food gets cold."

Kakashi poured sake for the two of them and the couple sat down to eat. The two talked and laughed while they ate their dinner. About halfway through, Kakashi began feeling strange but he brushed it off. After dinner, he helped Haruki clear the plates from the table and clean up.

Haruki startled Kakashi when she grabbed his face and kissed him. He didn't complain though and responded. He laughed when Haruki squeaked as he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. Tonight, she was all his.

* * *

Haruki sat up in the bed with the sheets wrapped around her body. She looked sadly at Kakashi as she moved his bangs from his face. She took a deep breath before hopping out of the bed and making her way to the bathroom. She took a quick shower and changed into all black clothing. Quietly, she walked back into the bedroom, hoping the shower hadn't woke Kakashi up. A part of her had wished it had so he could stop her. But she knew it was already too late. The drug would be taking affect soon. Soon, he wouldn't remember being with Haruki. He wouldn't remember having a child with her. She pulled her travel bag out of the closet and shut the closet door. She knelt beside Kakashi and smiled sadly. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she kissed him for the last time.

"Goodbye, Kakashi. I love you."

Itachi was waiting just outside of Konoha with Seika in his arms. He looked up when Haruki approached him. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Haruki took her sleeping baby from Itachi and smiled sadly. "Yes. This is the only way to protect everyone. I'm so sorry I dragged you into this, Itachi-kun."

Itachi shrugged. "It's fine. I don't mind as long as it's for you."

Haruki pulled the packet of powder out of her pocket and handed it to Itachi. "You can take care of the rest of the village, right?"

Itachi took the packet from her. "It shouldn't be too difficult. I've already prepared the doppelgangers of you and Seika so that everyone will think that you're dead. Be careful, Haruki-san. You know he won't stop until he's killed you and the baby."

Haruki hugged Itachi and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry about me, Itachi-kun. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

Itachi watched as Haruki ran off into the forest with her baby. He frowned and clenched the packet tightly in his hands.

* * *

Kakashi awoke the next morning and looked over at the other side of the bed. He blinked when he realized no one was there. Why had he expected someone to be there? He lived alone. He got out of bed and got dressed for the day. He looked into the room adjacent to his room. It was completely empty. It had always been empty though. He didn't know why he had bothered buying an apartment with two bedrooms since he lived alone. He walked into the living room and frowned. On the floor was a small baby toy.

"Silly Haruki." He sighed affectionately. "I'll have to take this over to her place so Seika-chan won't get upset."

He went to put the toy in his pocket and frowned when he realized something was already there. He pulled out a velvet blue box and opened it. He frowned thoughtfully. Why had he bought an engagement ring? He shrugged and placed the box on his coffee table. He figured he could always sell it for some extra money.

"Kakashi!" There was a voice screaming on the other side of the door.

Kakashi opened the door and his eyes widened in shock. "Mikoto, what's wrong?"

Mikoto stood in the hallway. Her eyes were red from the tears that were streaming down her face. "It's Haruki! T-they found her and Seika's bodies outside of Konoha's gates! Somebody killed them!"

Something twisted painfully inside of Kakashi. He grabbed Mikoto's shoulders. "Calm down, Mikoto. This is Haruki we're talking about. She would never let anything happen to Seika-chan."

Mikoto tugged on his hand. "We have to go to the hospital."

Kakashi allowed the distraught Uchiha woman to lead him to the hospital. The two were led to the morgue where they were asked to confirm the identification of the bodies. Kakashi frowned and bit his tongue to stop himself from crying. It was Haruki lying on the cold table. It was his subordinate, no, his friend that was lying their pale as snow. He reached out to her, wanting to touch her before he pulled his hand back to his side. He didn't want to remember her as something so cold. He wanted to remember her as the warm person that he had grown so close to.

"That's not Seika." Mikoto muttered.

Kakashi looked over at the dead baby body. He frowned. "She's right. That's not Seika."

The man frowned at the two of them. "How can you be sure? It's clearly not a doppelganger. It would have disappeared by now."

Kakashi shook his head. "I don't know but I know it's not Seika. Haruki would never let anyone hurt her baby." He glanced over at Mikoto. "Do you think it could have been Seika's father?"

Mikoto shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. What if he took Seika!?"

Kakashi looked back at Haruki's dead body and clenched his hands into a fist. "I don't know who did this or who took Seika. But I swear, I'll find whoever did it and kill them for what they've done."

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**So, there's only about two more chapters of flashbacks before we get back to the present timeline. Is Haruki really dead? Where is Seika? You'll find out next week if you review!**


	52. Turn Back the Clock: Alone

**Sorry I didn't update last week! I had my last final on Monday and had to focus on that. I've also been really focusing on my own original writing. I hope to complete the first draft of my novel by the end of July.**

**Holy hat! Akatsuki Baby has over 500 reviews! You guys are super awesome!!! Thanks so much for your continued support!**

**Ivvy-sama: Patience. All shall be explained. Wait you must. **

**moonstone6793: Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me!**

**Thank you all for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the Prince of Egypt so no suing! **

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"Shhh, Seika." Haruki cooed softly to her baby daughter. The two had been in hiding for the past month. Itachi visited their small house about once a week. He brought food and diapers with him as well as news of how successfully the drug had taken hold of the village. The two were currently alone. It was one in the morning and Seika wouldn't stop crying. Haruki sighed as she rocked her baby back and forth. "What's wrong, Seika-chan."

"Haruki-san…"

Haruki had a kunai in her hand in a flash. She squinted into the darkness that shrouded the doorframe. She gasped and quickly put Seika back in her crib. "What are you doing here, Itachi-kun? Why are you covered in blood? What happened?"

Itachi walked into the room and collapsed into the single chair in the entire one room house. "It's not by blood." He attempted to brush Haruki away when she began cleaning his face with a washcloth. He sighed and slumped down in the chair. "I killed them."

Haruki took Itachi's hand in hers and began gently cleaning it of the bloodstains. "Who did you kill, Itachi-kun?"

"My family." Itachi sensed the sudden tension in Haruki's body. "I couldn't kill Sasuke. I just…"

Haruki looked up and relaxed when she saw the tears rolling down Itachi's cheeks. She stood up and embraced him. Haruki cried as well for the loss of her best friend. She didn't question Itachi's motives. She knew that the higher ups had been planning something like this for a while. She couldn't believe they would order Itachi to kill his own family. "What will you do now, Itachi-kun?"

"I'm going to join an organization known as Akatsuki. He'll be there as well." Itachi wrapped his arms around Haruki's waist and buried his face in her stomach. "Haruki-san, he knows you're not dead. You need to go far away."

Haruki frowned and pulled Itachi's head up. "I have nowhere else to go, Itachi-kun. Seika is too young to move so far away. We're safe here."

Itachi stood up. "I have to go now. I'll try and keep him off of your trail."

Haruki smiled. She had to stand on her tiptoes in order to kiss Itachi's cheek. "You've grown so much from the little boy that I used to baby-sit."

Itachi walked over to the small crib in order to hide the light pink dusting his cheeks. He smoothed down Seika's hair and smiled when she reached up to him. He picked her up and kissed her forehead. "Be good for your mother, Seika-chan."

Haruki smiled as she watched Itachi place Seika back in her crib. The moment Itachi had left the house, though, she collapsed to her knees and sobbed. Her best friend was dead. Her best friend had been murdered by her own child. She was so alone now. She pulled her knees up to her chest and cried for nearly an hour. She fell asleep in that position. She couldn't find the strength to drag herself over to her bed.

The next two months were quiet. Itachi never came back after that night. Haruki knew he couldn't visit with Madara so close to him but she was lonely. She sighed and she rested in her bed with Seika on her stomach.

"I'm so sorry, Seika." Haruki whispered as she caressed her daughter's cheek. "This isn't the life I had envisioned for you."

Haruki shot up when one of the bells by the door rang. She had set up many invisible wires around the house so that if anyone tried to approach, she would know far in advance. She knew it couldn't be Itachi. He knew where all the wires were. Haruki put Seika back in her crib and ran outside.

Haruki hid in a tree a couple of miles from her home. Her breath caught in her throat. Madara was making his way purposefully towards her home. Towards her baby. Haruki bolted back to her house.

"Seika," Haruki quickly wrapped her daughter in a layer of blankets. "it looks like this is all the time we have left together." Haruki slipped out of the house quietly. She could see Madara's form drawing closer and closer. She held her daughter tightly to her and ran even deeper into the forest.

She ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She had to find somewhere safe to hide Seika. She wouldn't let Madara have her child. As she was running, she passed a boulder. She wouldn't have noticed it if not for the fact that the faint presence of Itachi's chakra lingered there. Haruki observed the boulder carefully. She didn't have many options left. Madara was closing in. She could take the chance that Itachi would come back to this place and find her child. If he didn't, Seika would starve to death in the forest if Madara didn't find her first. If she took Seika with her, there was no doubt in her mind that not only would she die, but her daughter as well.

Haruki allowed the tears to fall from her eyes. She pulled Seika away from her chest. She almost lost the resolve of her decision when Seika's onyx eyes connected with her brown ones. She placed her only child down in the grass and knelt beside her. She smiled sadly as Seika held her finger with her tiny hands. She cooed softly when Seika started crying.

"_Hush now, my baby. Be still love don't cry."_ Haruki sang quietly. _"Sleep and remember my last lullaby so I'll be with you when you dream."_ She placed the hand that Seika wasn't holding over Seika's eyes and muttered a sleeping jutsu. She hid her daughter with a weak illusion. She hoped that the illusion would be enough to trick Madara. The illusion would wear off once Haruki was a few miles away. "Please find her, Itachi-kun." Haruki whispered.

She stood up and continued running.

Madara rushed past the Akatsuki hideout without noticing the small baby sleeping in the grass.

* * *

"And that's how I found you." Itachi whispered. He sat on the floor of the small cave that the trio was currently hiding in.

Emiko was nestled in Kakashi's lap. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "So, Mommy abandoned me to save me. Mommy really did love me." She looked up at Itachi with hurt eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you make me believe that my mommy didn't want me? I've hated her so much all these years for leaving me alone! Why didn't you tell me the truth!?"

Kakashi hugged his daughter tightly. "Haruki was always willing to sacrifice herself for others." He glanced over at Itachi. "Thank you for telling me."

Itachi sighed. "The memory drug will wear off soon. When I spoke to Granny Cat a few months ago, she said the drug only lasted about seven years. You should remember everything soon."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Did she tell Haruki that?"

"No." Itachi answered.

Kakashi looked down at Emiko and wiped her tears away. The sounds of destruction coming from Konoha could be heard in the background. He looked over at Itachi. "So, what's our plan?"

Emiko stood up and walked over to the mouth of the cave. She could see the clouds of dust billowing up from Konoha. She let out a small gasp when she saw the giant Kyubi fighting.

"Papa…" She knew Naruto was fighting Pein. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Itachi and Kakashi were not paying attention. She took a deep breath before running out of the cave.

* * *

**Ha, so I was listening to the Prince of Egypt Soundtrack the whole time I was writing this chapter. What is Emiko planning to do? Review and let me know your thoughts!**


	53. Papa and Naruto

**Hey guys!! Thank you all for being so patient with me! **

**Moonstone6793: I'm afraid if I tried to beat Pein up I'd probably lose. **

**ReadtheWritten:….you'll just have to keep reading to find out, won't you? (insert evil laugh)**

**I just want you guys to know that I'm changing the update schedule. Basically, Akatsuki Baby, Vampire Baby, and Hitsugaya's Headache will be updated one week. Then, Precious Flower, Time of Dying, and Pocketful of Sunshine will be update the following week. **

**Also, the rules for the contest have been tweaked so please go check it out! We've gotten some great entries so far and would love to get some more!**

* * *

"Emiko, get back here!"

Emiko skidded to halt and spun around to face Kakashi. Her breathing was heavy from running so fast. "I've gotta go stop them, Daddy!"

Kakashi knelt down to his daughter's level and pulled her into a tight hug. "You're just like your mother." He kissed the top of her head. "Promise me you'll be careful."

Emiko hugged her father back. "I promise. What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going back into Konoha to help. They've still got quite a few injured people there." Kakashi stood up. He held his daughter's little hand. "Be careful."

"I will daddy." Emiko gently pulled her hand from her father's grasp and started running again. She had to stop her Papa and Naruto from killing each other. She was tired of all this fighting. She was tired of constantly losing her loved ones. She was only seven and already she had lost so much. She wasn't going to lose anymore of her family.

"Wait for me, Naruto…Papa…"

* * *

_"Papa!"_

_Pein sighed as he was tackled by the four year old. "What are you doing out here, Emiko?"_

_Emiko giggled. "I wanted to be the first to greet Papa! Welcome home, Papa."_

_Pein looked around to make sure no one was looking. He scooped Emiko up into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, Emiko."_

_Emiko frowned and hugged Pein tightly around his neck. "Why do you always look so sad, Papa?"_

_Pein put Emiko down and took her hand in his as they walked back into the hideout. "It's nothing you need to worry about, Emiko."_

_Emiko was silent as the two walked through the hideout. She followed Pein all the way to his room. "Papa, where is your mommy and daddy?"_

_Pein stiffened slightly. _

_"Is that why you're sad, Papa?" Emiko asked. She hugged his legs. "Do you miss your mama and papa?"_

_"Why don't you go play with Deidara?" Pein patted her head._

_Emiko pouted. "It's okay, Papa. You don't need to be sad. I'm your family now so you're not alone anymore. So don't be sad anymore, Papa."_

_Pein knelt down to Emiko's level and kissed her forehead. "I know, Emiko. You are my family now. I don't want what happened to me to happen to you. Thank you, Emiko."_

_Emiko beamed proudly and kissed Pein's cheeks. She smiled happily when she heard the light pitter patter of rain on top of the hideout. "Are you making it rain, Papa?"_

_"No. Not this time." Pein said. _

_"Papa, may I go play in the rain?" Emiko pleaded._

_Pein sighed. "Put your rain boots and jacket on and I'll take you outside."_

_Emiko squealed excitedly. She bolted out of the room and returned a few minutes later dressed and ready to go. She grabbed Pein's hand and dragged him out of the hideout. Once they were outside, she let Pein's hand go so she could splash in the forming puddles. She giggled as she twirled around in the rain._

_"Papa, come play."_

_Pein shook his head. "No thank you, Emiko. I'll just watch." _

_Emiko pouted but went back to playing in the rain. "You know what, Papa? A lot of kids my age are scared of the rain, but I'm not."_

_Pein felt the corners of his mouth twitch. "Oh, and why is that?"_

_Emiko smiled. "Because Papa makes it rain. And if it's something Papa does, then it's not scary. 'Cause I know Papa would never hurt me. Right, Papa?"_

_Pein smiled when Emiko's back was to him. "That's right. I'll never hurt you, Emiko."_

* * *

_"Emiko-chaaan!"_

_Emiko screamed as she was scooped into the air by a pair of tan arms scooped her into the air. She giggled and nuzzled the blonde's cheek. "Hi, Naru-chan!"_

_Naruto grinned at the young girl. "What are you doing wandering around by yourself? I can't believe Sasuke let you out of the house unsupervised."_

_"He told me to get out and play 'cause I was giving him a headache." Emiko pouted. "Will you play with me, Naru-chan? I'm so bored!"_

_"Of course!" Naruto put Emiko down. "Let's play hide-n-seek. You hide and I'll come find you."_

_Emiko walked backwards to make sure Naruto covered his eyes. "You have to count to fifty."_

_She bolted off to find a good hiding place. She finally found the perfect hiding place; on top of the Hokage Mountain. She nestled herself in the spikes of the Yondaime's spiky hair. She frowned as the sky darkened and rumbling thunder could be heard. She pulled her knees tightly to her chest and whimpered. She hated storms. It wasn't the rain that bothered her. The impending storm was what terrified her. She had always hated the thunder. Normally she would curl up under her bed or in her closet but she was out_ _in the open. She started crying as the thunder grew louder._

_"Emiko-chan, don't cry."_

_Emiko clutched tightly to the warm body that was holding her. She looked up and gave a shaky smile. "You found me, Naru-chan."_

_Naruto grinned. "Of course. I told you I'd come find you. I won't let the scary thunder get you."_

_Emiko sniffled. "Promise?"_

_Naruto held her tighter as the rain pelted down on them. "I promise. I'll save you from anything that scares you."_

* * *

Emiko panted as she skidded to a stop. She couldn't see Naruto anywhere. All she saw was her Papa standing on the broken earth and a giant ball of earth floating in the sky. "Stop it!" She screamed.

Pein turned his head to the side slightly. "Emiko…"

* * *

**Sorry for the wait and how short this is. I'm not in the best of moods since I found that someone has been plagiarizing some of this story. Please review and let me know your thoughts! **


	54. Papa

**AHHH!! I'm gonna be 20 on Friday!!! I'm super excited! **

**ramarishana: Yes, I have read the new chapters. Don't worry though. I've already planned how to tweak everything to fit.**

**belovedaughteroftheking: Wow. That's such a huge compliment that you read this all in virtually one sitting. I'm so glad you enjoy it! As for Sasuke and Emiko Sakura02 and myself think we have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen. But you'll have to keep reading to find out what it is.**

**Thank you so much to Crystal Kira, kyuuketsuki fang, Bonds of Hatred, Sakura02, Usagi323, xXWolfAngelXx, cheeky half-demon, ramarishana, Haku-chan, Pikachuwolffox4, Ivvy-sama, silver-nightstorm, Lady Malignant, XxBloodyRiverxX, belovedaughteroftheking, TK Writer, Suicidal-Uchiha, Toph98sg, and Lovelywitch for reviewing! You guys rock! **

**Italics mean flashbacks.**

* * *

_Pein groaned in frustration. He hated when Emiko was in his room. He rolled out of his bed and stomped over to the crib. He frowned down at the small baby. "Emiko, I order you to stop crying."_

_Baby Emiko ignored Pein's command. In fact, she began crying harder. She flailed her arms and twisted her body from side to side._

_"What's wrong with you?" Pein sighed as he picked Emiko up from her crib. "Are you hungry again?" He carried the baby into the kitchen. He pulled a bottle out of the fridge before sitting down in a chair._

_Emiko's tiny hands grasped the sides of the bottle. Her eyes were closed from sheer contentment. Even when the milk was all gone, she refused to let go of the bottle. _

_Pein almost smiled as he pulled the bottle from Emiko. "No more." He put a towel over his shoulder and burped Emiko. He carried her back to the room. He put Emiko back in her crib. _

_He had only gone a few steps when Emiko began crying again. He sighed and went back to the crib. "Why must you always make everything so difficult?"_

_Emiko held her arms out. She giggled as Pein scooped her up into his arms. Her tiny hands held onto the front of Pein's shirt. She sighed happily and closed her eyes._

_Pein collapsed onto his bed. He placed Emiko on his stomach. He smoothed down Emiko's wispy black hair. As he closed his eyes to sleep, there was almost a hint of a smile one his face. Almost._

* * *

_Pein growled in annoyance. How could he have misplaced his scrolls? He muttered angrily to himself as he continued to search for them._

_"What are you doing, Papa?" A three year old Emiko poked her head into the room. She kept her hands behind her back._

_"I'm looking for my scrolls." Pein answered as he looked under his bed. He frowned when he looked up. "Why are you grinning like that?"_

_"Tada!" Emiko pulled two scrolls out from behind her back. "You left them in the living room last night. I found them for you!"_

_Pein stood up and walked over to Emiko. He knelt down to her level and took the scrolls from her. He patted her head. "Thank you."_

_Emiko rocked back and forth on her heels. "What's in those scrolls, Papa?"_

_"Nothing for you to concern yourself with." Pein answered. He sat down at his desk and opened the scrolls up. He glanced back over to the door and frowned when he saw Emiko still standing there. "Go play, Emiko."_

_"Is it a super destructive jutsu?" Emiko asked nervously. "Why would you need to use something like that? Are you gonna hurt people, Papa?"_

_Pein sighed. He motioned Emiko over. When she was within reach, he picked her up and placed her in his lap. "It's not a destructive jutsu. It's the opposite. It's called Gedo Rinne Tensei no Jutsu."_

_"Gedo…Rinne…Tensei…no Jutsu." Emiko repeated slowly. "What does it do?"_

_"It is a useless technique." Pein answered. "There is no need for such a technique in this world."_

_Emiko frowned. She tilted her head up to look at her Papa. "Then why are you studying it, Papa?"_

_"A god must understand both life and death, Emiko." Pein answered. "Since I will be the god of the new world Akatsuki creates, I need to know all the jutsu of this world, even the useless ones."_

_Emiko was silent for a moment. "I want to learn it. I want to learn Gedo Rinne Tensei no Jutsu."_

_Pein raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to learn something useless like this? What need do you have to bring people back to life?"_

_"It's not useless!" Emiko pouted. "What if you or Mama or 'Tachi or the others get hurt? If I know Gedo Rinne Tensei, I could save everyone."_

_Pein chuckled. "This is not a technique you need to concern yourself with." He sighed when he heard yelling coming from the kitchen. "Let's go make sure Deidara isn't killing Tobi."_

_Emiko squealed happily as her Papa stood up with her in his arms. "Can I have ramen for lunch?"_

_"Yes."_

_The scroll remained open on the desk, forgotten._

* * *

"Papa, stop it!"

Pein frowned as he looked down at Emiko. The smile that was usually on her cherubic face was replaced with a look of pain and sorrow. "Emiko, what are you doing here?"

Emiko panted as she tried to catch her breath. "You have to stop fighting, Papa!"

"Emiko," Pein used his most reprimanding tone. "you do not understand what this world is truly like. You do not understand what pain is or the hatred that follows that pain. You don't understand the desire for revenge that comes forth from that hatred."

"That's not true!" Emiko shouted. "I've had to watch Danna die at the hands of Sakura-can and Chiyo-baasan! I lost Hi-chan and Kaku to Shika-chan and Daddy because they killed Asuma-san! I saw Deidei blow himself up while he was fighting Sasu-chan! I was there when Sasu-chan and 'Tachi fought! I've lost so many people, Papa. All the fights have always been between my most precious people. I understand the hatred that comes from losing a loved one. But…I've never wanted revenge. Getting revenge would mean losing another precious person." Emiko sniffled. "Because, it's always my most precious people that kill my most precious people. Please, Papa, I don't want to lose you or Naru-chan too!

Pein stared emotionlessly at the small girl. "You will understand my methods when you are older. You still see things through the eyes of a child." Pein turned his attention back to the giant floating ball of earth. He frowned when he noticed some of the earth crumbling away.

He reacted without realizing it. When the Naruto-Kyuubi broke through with it's eight tails, rubble began falling from the sky. He ran over to Emiko and grabbed her. He managed to get her out of harms way. "You've always been a troublemaker. You never know when to listen."

Emiko whimpered and hid her face in Pein's side. "Please stop, Papa. Please stop this fighting."

Pein opened his mouth to say something. He frowned when he looked up and saw the fox was gone. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Naruto standing on the earth ball. "You…"

Emiko peaked up and her face broke into a smile. "Naru-chan!"

Pein didn't fail to notice how Emiko's face lit up at the sight of Naruto. The pain and sorrow seemed to completely vanish. The pain and sadness that was on her face when she was with him was gone now that the boy from Konoha was there.

"You're in the way." Pein pushed Emiko off to the side. "Stay there and don't move."

Emiko winced as her back connected with a boulder. She watched as the Chibaku Tensei crumbled from the sky. She sat off to the side as Naruto and Pein faced each other, both with looks of determination. "Naru-chan…Papa…"

She knew as the tears began falling from her eyes that she was about to lose another precious person.

* * *

**Hooray! This chapter is all done! Review and let me know your thoughts.**


	55. The Real Papa

**Hello again everyone! Word of advice: never call a friend after you've had six margaritas. **

**Ivvy-sama: Aw, Happy Late Birthday! I hope you had an awesome one. Yes, I'm being obedient to the canon…for now**

**Meco45: Zetsu will show up a little later. Right now, he's chilling with his plant buddies.**

**XxBloodyRiverxX: Mwahaha, you shall have to keep reading to find out the answers.**

**Thank you so much everyone for your continued reviews and support!**

* * *

Emiko had always known that her family was different from others. She had always known in the back of her mind that many of them would never live to see her grow up. They had always told her their lives were dangerous. That they were wanted criminals. This had never truly processed in Emiko's mind until she saw the dead body of her Papa. To her, her papa had always been invincible, undefeatable. To see him lying before her, dead, completely shocked her. She stared blankly at Naruto as he pulled out one of what Emiko had always thought was a piercing but turned out to be a black metal rod out of Pein's body. She walked over to the dead body and moved his bangs from his bloody face.

"I'm sorry, Papa. Why didn't you stop?" Tears filled her eyes. "Why'd you leave me?" She blinked as Naruto stabbed his hand with the metal rod. "What are you doing, Naru-chan?"

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment before yanking the metal piece out of his hand. "I know where the real Pein is."

Emiko's eyes widened. "The real Pein? This isn't him?"

Naruto didn't answer her question. "I'm going to find the real Pein, alone."

"No you aren't!" Emiko protested. She stood up and stomped over to Naruto. "I'm not going to let you go alone! I'm not going to lose anybody else! I want to see who my real Papa is."

"No, Emiko." Naruto knelt down to Emiko's level. He placed his hands on her shoulder. "I'm going alone. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Emiko snorted. She held Naruto's face firmly between her hands. "Hurt? Naru-chan, what do you think I've been going through since Danna died? I've done nothing but hurt since then. What makes you think this one time will be any different? I just want to see my real Papa once." She tried to make her onyx eyes as round as possible. "Please?"

Naruto sighed. "Sasuke would kill me if I let you go."

"Do you see Sasu-chan anywhere?" Emiko retorted. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him. He's not my father so it's none of his business."

Naruto cracked a smile. "Fine. Just don't let Sasuke know."

She grinned. "I promise!"

The two set off together through the trees. Emiko stayed close at Naruto's side to make sure he didn't try to run off and leave her. Neither spoke as they moved swiftly through the trees to their final destination.

"Naruto!" The two were stopped by Shikaku and Inoichi.

Inoichi's eyes widened when he saw Emiko standing nervously beside Naruto. "We thought you were dead, Emiko."

"Surprise." She whispered half-heartedly.

Inoichi turned his attention back to Naruto. "So, did you win?"

Naruto looked down at the ground. He smiled sadly at Emiko when she took his hand in hers. He gave her hand a tiny squeeze. "It doesn't matter."

Shikaku looked between the two. "What happened?"

"It's….hard to explain." Naruto answered lamely. "Regardless, I'm going to go talk to Pein."

Inoichi became furious. "What will talking solve!?"

Naruto glared back. "So, what should I do?! Should I just kill Pein and his henchmen and then his destroy his village!? What will that solve!? What would it do to someone like Emiko!? She'd become just like him, wanting nothing but revenge!"

"He is the enemy of Konoha!" Inoichi yelled back. "He can't be forgiven!"

Naruto didn't notice how Emiko flinched as his grip on her hand tightened. "I feel the same way! I can't forgive him for killing Jiraiya and hurting everyone!"

Emiko's eyes widened. "Papa killed Jiraiya-jichan?" This was the first time she had her of it. Her eyes saddened. "Why would Papa kill him?"

Shikaku sighed. "Inoichi, let them go. I'm sure Naruto's got a plan."

Inoichi opened his mouth to say something but Naruto was already dragging Emiko away.

"Thanks, Shikaku-san!" Naruto called over his shoulder. He looked down at Emiko's sad face. "It's not your fault."

Emiko looked up at him. "How'd you know what I was thinking?"

Naruto grinned. "You're just really predictable like that. You always blame yourself for everything bad that happens." He finally stopped at the base of a giant tree. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the bark was in fact made of paper.

Emiko ran her hand lovingly over the paper. "Mama…"

Naruto tore the paper open to reveal a dark room. He walked in and ignored Konan standing protectively in front of a man hooked up to a machine. This frail man was the real Pein. This man was Nagato.

Emiko stepped in behind Naruto. Her eyes widened when she saw Nagato attached to the machine. "Are you my real Papa?"

Nagato nodded. "My name is Nagato. It's nice to finally meet you face to face, Emiko."

Emiko pouted over at Konan. "Mama, you need to feed him!"

* * *

**Ah, sorry about the shortness and the lateness. This week has been less than stellar for me and I haven't been in much of a mood to write. I promised Sakura02 that I would update this story, Vampire Baby, and Hitsugaya's Headache and I won't let her down! Review please!**


	56. Goodbye, Papa

**So sorry I didn't update the other week! I was trapped at the beach with my mom, my sister, and my sister's idiotic boyfriend. I hope you can all forgive me!**

**Meco45: I'm not sure how much longer until Zetsu shows up. It might take a while though.**

**Sakura02: I do not encourage underage drinking! And it was pink, I tell you! Hmmm…if we catch up again…I'll think of something.**

**xXxMatsurikaxXx: Wow, that's awesome! I'm so glad you like it so much and I hope you continue to enjoy it.**

**Jess Likes Biting: Yes, Emiko is currently seven years old right now.**

**Crystal Kira: That line is what me and Sakura02 constantly thought the whole time Nagato was there. Somebody needs to feed the poor boy some oatmeal!**

**030artastic: Don't worry! I promised myself and Sakura02 that I wouldn't stop writing any of my fanfics until I finished them! **

**inukagrules: Oh, I don't think we are anywhere near towards the end. We've still got a long way to go. I have a sinking feeling this may be over 100 chapters.**

**kidinlotsoftrouble: The fact that you reviewed at all makes me so happy. Even if I only get one review from a person, it makes me so happy to know that you like the story! Thank you so much for the review and I hope your eyes feel better!**

**PokeMariah: Hmmm…I don't know if I'm going to write a sequel for this one. I don't know what it would be about. If you have any ideas, send them to me!**

**Thanks so much to: XxBloodyRiverxX, animegirl0216, cheeky half-demon, Toph Eujing, Azura Soul Reaver, Bonds of Hatred, Fallen star that finds light, kyuuketsuki fang, MsDreamie, silver-nightstorm, mysteryhorse37, Ivvy-sama, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, and Truth and Reconciliation. You guys are amazing! Thanks so much for all of your continued support!**

**Wow, we're over 600 reviews!!! You guys are amazing!!!!**

* * *

"Emiko," Nagato sighed. "please stop poking my ribs."

Emiko blinked up at him. "But…but…you're so skinny!" She pouted over at Konan. "You could at least feed him some oatmeal!"

Nagato took a deep breath and counted to ten. "Emiko, stop poking me." He could feel his eye twitching now as his adopted daughter continued poking him. "Emiko, just because I am hooked up to a machine doesn't mean you get to ignore me! Stop poking me."

Emiko squeaked and quickly ran back to Naruto. She hid behind the silent teenager and pouted. "You don't have to yell at me, Papa." She looked up at Naruto once she realized he was silent. She frowned when she saw how serious Naruto's face was and how tightly he had his fist clenched. It was then she remembered that it was her Papa that had killed Jiraiya, Naruto's master. It was her Papa that had destroyed Naruto's (and her own) home. "Naru-chan…" She placed her two small hands on top of one of his clenched fist. She kissed his hand and looked up at him with sad eyes. She knew he wanted nothing more than to destroy her Papa.

"You want to kill me, don't you." Nagato said.

Konan was becoming panicked. Her baby looked like she was about to cry because she was torn between her two worlds. Nagato was far too weak to fend off Naruto if he decided to attack and she wasn't sure if she could fight him off either. "If you kill Nagato, it won't change anything!"

"Emiko…" Naruto began. He wasn't able to finish though since one of Nagato's controlling devices impaled him through his stomach.

Emiko gasped and quickly stood defensively in front of Naruto. She pulled a kunai out and held it in front of herself as threateningly as she could manage. "I'm not gonna let you hurt Naru-chan!"

"Move, Emiko." Nagato whispered. "He is going to be sacrificed for the betterment of this world."

"No! I won't move." Emiko was trying her hardest to look threatening. But the water filling her eyes was most certainly ruining the effect. She looked more like a child being told by her father that she couldn't have any ice cream.

"Move, Emiko."

It was Naruto's voice, of that Emiko was certain. But it was different. It was much darker. More sinister. She turned around slowly and gasped. Naruto's eyes were red now. Without a second thought, Emiko scurried back behind Naruto. She didn't think it would be wise to disobey this Naruto.

Naruto gently took Emiko's hand in his. He didn't turn his face away from Nagato, though. "I came here to talk to you. But…I wanted to find something else out too. I wanted to know what it would feel like if I saw you. Emiko's always talked so lovingly about you so I wanted to see if I could see something good in you."

Nagato watched Naruto curiously. "And…?"

He looked down almost apologetically at Emiko before turning his eyes to Nagato. They were full of hatred as he yanked the bar out of his stomach. "I can't forgive you. I want to kill you so badly, I'm trembling."

Emiko held Naruto's hand tighter and looked pleadingly up at him. How would she possibly react if Naruto killed her Papa? "Naruto, please…" She whimpered to him.

Naruto shook Emiko off of him and charged at Nagato. His fist was raised like he was going to punch him. All Emiko could do was watch. Her hands flew up over her eyes. She couldn't watch. She didn't want to watch.

"The Pervy Sage...he said there would come a day where people would all understand each other. He had so much faith in that. This kind of world…it's cruel to someone like Emiko. She loves everyone so much…these kinds of wars hurt people like her." Naruto stopped abruptly in front of Nagato.

Nagato snorted. "But you cannot forgive me. Love and forgiveness can't be bought with pretty words. Emiko understands."

Emiko clenched her fist at her side. No. She didn't understand. She didn't understand why everyone she loved hated each other. She didn't understand why people started wars that caused nothing but pain and sadness. She didn't understand why she had to keep losing people she loved.

Naruto looked over his shoulder and smiled at Emiko. The red eyes were gone and his bright blue eyes were back. He held his hand out.

Emiko ran to his side and grabbed his hand. She buried her face in his side and peeked her onyx eyes over at her papa.

"When I found out you were Jiraiya's apprentice, I wanted to know how you turned out this way. I don't know anything about you and I don't think Emiko does either." He smiled brightly down at her. "Don't you wanna know about your papa?"

Emiko nodded her head rapidly. She looked hesitantly up at Nagato. "I've always wanted to know about Papa. I've always wanted to know why Papa looks so sad all the time."

Nagato's eyes flickered between the teenager and the child. He sighed. "Very well, I'll tell you."

Konan's eyes widened. "Nagato, that's just a waste of time!"

Nagato glanced over at Konan. "It's all right. I want to know what he will say. Besides, I think Emiko is old enough to appreciate the story now."

And so, Nagato began his story. He told the two of how Konoha ninjas had killed his parents. He talked of how he killed the two ninjas, though he hadn't realized it at the time. He buried his parents and set out on his own. He spoke of how he soon ran out of provisions and how a small puppy found him. He told the two about how he was forced to beg for food and how no one had any to spare.

"That's how Konan found me." Nagato said. "I was starving and she gave me some bread. She took me back to the cave where her and Yahiko were living. They became my friends."

He told them about how the three were forced to steal in order to survive. He explained how Yahiko never gave up hope, no matter how horrible the situation was. He told them about how Yahiko's dream was to become God of the world so that he could stop all the wars. He told them about how they found Jiraiya and convinced him to train them.

"Without realizing it, despite my hatred for the Konoha ninjas, I began to accept Jiraiya. He told us that when people get hurt, they learn to hate. When people hurt others, they become hated and are racked with guilt. We grew stronger and then…he left us."

He continued to explain how they formed a gang and Yahiko became their leader. He told them about how the leader of Amegakure approached them and said he wanted them to being peace negotiations between the three great countries.

"But it was a trap." Nagato said. "When we arrived Hanzo was there with Konoha's black ops whom were led by Danzo. He wanted me to kill Yahiko in exchange for Konan's life. Yahiko took my hand that killed the kunai and made me stab him. I snapped. I killed them. So," Nagato looked harshly at Naruto. "now you understand. There can be no peace in this land. So, what is your answer?"

Naruto was silent as he pulled a book out. He smiled as he held it up for Emiko to see. "Remember when I read this to you? You were sick."

Emiko smiled and nodded. "It's the only book of Jiraiya-jichan's that I was allowed to read."

Naruto nodded as he turned his attention to Nagato. "I understand you now but, I still hate you. I can't forgive you."

Nagato nodded. "Then let's finish this."

"But," Naruto knelt down and scooped Emiko up into his arms. He smiled briefly at her as he straightened up and turned his attention back to Nagato. "that pervy sage believed in me. So, I'm going to believe in what he believed. That's my answer. I'm not going to kill you."

Nagato frowned. "Are you serious!? You think peace is just going to appear!? How can I believe in Jiraiya's ideas now!? There is no such thing as real peace!"

"Then I'll find it. I'll find peace." Naruto said. He grinned at Emiko when she pulled on his hair. "With Emiko's help, of course."

"Those words…" Nagato said.

"Naru-chan's copying Jiraiya-jichan's book." Emiko said proudly. She took it from Naruto's hand and held it up for Nagato to see. "Naru-chan told me that Jiraiya-jichan wrote the book to make the world a better place. Jiraiya-jichan said this was inspired by one of his pupils. When Naru-chan read it to me, it made me think of you, Papa! I bet Jiraiya-jichan was inspired by you!"

"He named the main character Naruto!" Naruto said. "My name is a precious memento of his. I'm going to become Hokage and I'm going to make sure there is peace for every country, including Amegakure. So, please believe in me!"

Nagato was silent for a minute. "You are an odd kid. You remind me of myself when I was younger. I wasn't able to believe in him, but you were. Very well, I'll believe in you." He pulled his arms out of the machine. "Gedo Rinne Tensei no Jutsu."

Emiko's eyes widened as Konan yelled at Nagato. "Papa, you told me that technique was useless."

Naruto looked at Emiko. "What kind of technique is it."

Emiko frowned as she watched her papa deep in concentration. "It's a technique that gives life." Her frown deepened as Nagato's hair grew white. She wriggled out of Naruto's arms as she heard Katsuya exclaim that everyone in Konoha was alive. She took Nagato's hands in hers. "Are you okay, Papa?"

"I'm so sorry, Emiko." Nagato whispered out. He removed one of his hands from hers and stroked her hair. "War brings death…and causes pain on both sides. Nothing is more painful than seeing those you love die. It's especially difficult for your generation that doesn't know war. You try to find meaning in death but there's only pain and hatred and you don't know what do with it. Being with the Akatsuki, it's done nothing but hurt you, Emiko. You've known nothing but pain and suffering."

Emiko shook her head as tears filled her eyes. She grabbed Nagato's hands and kissed both of them. "That's not true, Papa. You and Mama and everyone always tried to protect me from how mean the world could be. I had a lot of fun with all of you. I love you all so much, Papa. Please don't leave me too. I don't wanna lose anymore people."

Nagato shushed her and wiped her tears away. "Be a good girl for Naruto. Do you understand?"

As the paper tree disappeared around them, Nagato's hands released Emiko. He was gone.

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**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Emiko's lost her Papa! How will she cope? What's going to happen now that Nagato is dead? Review!**


	57. Who Are You

**Blah, I feel sick. I've been throwing up nonstop and it's gross. And Kishimoto is annoying me now!**

**Crystal Kira: It was all right. I'm not much of a beach person so I didn't go in the water. **

**Akatsuki-Hidan: Read today's chapter to find out!**

**Sora96: Please don't die! Here's a new chapter!**

**Thank you to: xXWolfAngelXx, xXxMatsurikaxXx, cheeky half-demon, Azura Soul Reaver, Jess Likes Biting, kyuuketsuki fang, Sakura02, ., Bonds of Hatred, XxBloodyRiverxX, kidinlotsoftrouble, silver-nightstorm, Usagi323, Toph Eujing, MidNight Astrum, camitake, blinkeypanda, Meco45, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, and Providentia for reviewing. You guys are awesome!**

* * *

"Emiko," Konan knelt down and hugged the small girl tightly. "you be good for Naruto." She kissed the young girl's forehead.

"I will, Mama." Emiko hugged Konan tightly. She felt tears fill her eyes. "I'll miss you, Mama. I'll see you someday, right?"

Konan pulled away and smiled at Emiko. She wiped the tears from the little girl's eyes. "Of course."

Emiko pulled on Naruto's hand. "I'll see you back in Konoha."

Naruto blinked. "Where are you going?"

"Um…somewhere…" Emiko scampered off before Naruto could question her further. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her back to the cave where she knew Itachi was hiding. She peeked in. "…'Tachi?"

Itachi glanced up and smiled. He frowned when he saw how red and puffy Emiko's eyes were. He held his arms open and hugged Emiko tightly as she ran into his embrace. "What happened? Why is my Emiko so sad?"

Emiko's tiny arms stayed wrapped around Itachi. "Papa died. Papa brought everyone back to life and he died. Why does everyone have to die?"

Itachi kissed the top of her head but said nothing. There was nothing he could say. "Emiko, I'm going to have to leave. I'm going to find a way to stop Madara."

"You're leaving me too!?" Emiko cried in alarm.

Itachi shushed her. "Only for a little while. I promise you, I'll come back. Once Madara is defeated, I'll come back."

"Promise?" Emiko held her pinky out. "I won't let you leave unless you promise."

Itachi linked his pinky with Emiko's and kissed her forehead. "I promise you, I'll come back to you, and we'll get ramen together."

Emiko's eyes lit up. "Can Naru-chan and Sasu-chan come with us?"

"Yes." Itachi stood up. "Get back to Konoha now. I'll see you soon." With that, he disappeared.

Emiko stood in the cave by herself for a moment. Already she missed Itachi. But she knew he would keep his promise to her. He always did. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the cave.

"Who are you?" Emiko asked the stranger standing outside the cave. They were wearing a baggy cloak so she couldn't tell if they were a man or a woman.

The stranger held a gloved finger to their lips to silence Emiko. Now that Emiko looked closer, she realized she could not see a single feature of this person. There hands were covered in gloves. Even their face was hidden behind a mask. She didn't feel any malice from the person so Emiko wasn't afraid. Of course, she had never felt any malice from Tobi and had come to find out he wished for nothing more than her death.

"Who are you?" Emiko asked again though with more urgency. She pulled a kunai out and held it in front of herself protectively.

The person waved their hand dismissively before tensing. Somebody was coming. While Emiko was looking away, the person disappeared.

"Daddy!" Emiko cried. She ran over to Kakashi and hugged him tightly around his legs. She grinned up at him and the barely conscious Naruto on his back.

Kakashi smiled down at his daughter. "Where were you? Naruto was panicking because you just ran off."

Emiko kicked the ground nervously. Should she tell her father about the mysterious person? Something in the back of her mind told her no. "I was just saying goodbye to…the cave."

While Naruto had no idea what she was talking about, Kakashi did. He smiled at his daughter. "I see. We should get back to Konoha."

As soon as the trio broke the tree line, people were cheering and chanting Naruto's name. Emiko grinned at the shocked Naruto. "They really like you now, Naru-chan!"

Kakashi swiftly picked his daughter up as the crowd began swarming Naruto. He gave Emiko a serious look. "What did he say?"

"He said he was gonna find a way to stop Madara. He promised me he'd come back so me and him and Naru-chan and Sasu-chan could all have ramen together." Emiko wrapped her arms around her father's neck.

"What about me?" Kakashi asked with a fake hurt tone. "Don't you want your father to come eat ramen with you too?"

Emiko panicked, not realizing Kakashi was only teasing her. "Of course you can come, Daddy! Should I invite Lee-chan and Shika-chan and Chouji-chan!? What about Gaa-chan!? He'll be sad if he gets left out!"

Kakashi chuckled and kissed Emiko's cheek. "Don't worry, Emiko. I'm sure Gaara and the others will understand."

Before Emiko could respond, she was distracted by the ninjas throwing Naruto in the air. "Don't drop, Naru-chan!"

Naruto laughed. "It's okay, Emiko. Come here." He held his arms open as the people continued throwing him in the air.

Emiko glanced at Kakashi for only a moment before leaping into Naruto's arms. She squealed excitedly as Naruto held her tightly while the ninjas tossed them in the air. Her grin widened when she saw her father watching her with a smile. She idly wondered if her papa and the others were watching her now and whether or not they were smiling too.

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**I know it's really short but I'm trying not to catch up with the manga again! Any guesses as to who the mystery person was? Review to find out if Emiko's happiness will last!**


	58. Inari

**I'm so sorry that I just disappeared for a few weeks! You see, I've been writing this original novel for…three years now. I finally had the story down and knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I, being the crazy person that I am, decided I wanted to complete the novel before school started in one week. I wrote thirteen chapters in one week guys! I finished the first draft! I was so happy, I cried like a baby. **

**School and work started back up and it has been way too crazy to try and write anything. Now that I've got my schedule down, I'm going to get back to updating! Thank you all for being so patient with me!**

**ChojisGirl: That's the sad part. I do work around small children. I have for the past two-three years now. I think one of them got me sick since they don't know how to cover their mouths when they cough.**

**Sakura02: Ha! Don't even pretend like you don't know! **

**cheeky half-demon: Mwuahaha! You'll have to wait a couple more chapters to see if she goes with Naruto or not…she probably will though…more than likely.**

**silver nightstorm-I'm trying really hard not to catch up again! I'll cry if I have to write more fillers.**

**Thank you so much to: XxBloodyRiverxX, Crystal Kira, Miyura Sayuri, Azura Soul Reaver, kyuuketsuki fang, Haruna Uchiha, Odi~, Sun Geisha, ., Anomous duckweed, Rainbow Twizzler, I-love-red-head-ninjas, kidinlotsoftrouble, xXxMatsurikaxXx, Sora96, NarutoGirl9312, I'mSlowlyGoingInsane, RitsukaAyaogi, BeautifulXinXBlood, Bonds of Hatred, Usagi323, CuttlefishShiz, MaiOfTheMoon, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, Midami Uchiha of the sand, and 69EmoGaaraFan69. You guys are awesome!**

**As for who the mysterious person is…a few of you guessed right! **

* * *

Emiko knelt beside Tsunade's unconscious body. She moved a stray strand of hair out of Tsunade's closed eyes. She looked up at Sakura with sad eyes. "When will Tsunade-neechan wake up?"

Sakura sat beside the small girl and pulled her into a one armed hug. "I don't know. She used so much energy protecting the village…"

A sudden shudder went through Emiko. She stood up and quickly glanced around. There was nothing. She went over to Kakashi and grabbed his hand. She pulled on his hand until he bent down to pick her up. She buried her face in his neck.

Kakashi frowned, adjusting Emiko into one arm so he could pry her face from his neck. "What's wrong, Seika…Emiko…" He wasn't sure what to call his daughter.

Emiko looked up, a nervous light in her eyes. "I don't know. I just got a bad feeling…" Her thoughts flashed back to the mysterious person but she brushed them aside.

Naruto frowned. "What are we supposed to call you now, anyways?"

Emiko tapped her chin thoughtfully. She looked apologetically up at her father. "Emiko Seika Senju-Hatake, if that's okay with you, Daddy. I'm just used to being called Emiko."

Kakashi smiled. "You want to have mine and your mother's last name?"

"Yeah! Can I?" Emiko asked. At the positive nod she received, she squealed happily and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Daddy! I love you!"

* * *

A few hours later found Emiko helping Sakura and Naruto search the debris for usable wood. The hot sun was beating down on their backs and the three finally had to take a break. They sat down on a corner of one of the many wood piles. Emiko wedged herself in between Sakura and Naruto, resting her head on Naruto's arm. She was feeling rather drowsy and wanted a nap. She already missed Itachi terribly and hoped she would see him again soon.

"I never thought I'd see you guys again!" A young boy, no older than twelve, walked up to the three, an old man at his side.

Naruto tilted his head to the side, trying to remember the two. His eyes suddenly widened. "Inari and Tazuna!" He leapt up in excitement. He grabbed Emiko's hand and pulled her over to the two. "Emiko, this is Inari and Tazuna. We met them right before we met you!" He blinked when he noticed Emiko hiding shyly behind him.

Emiko fiddled with the edge of Naruto's jacket, her eyes glancing at Inari before quickly averting away before he could make eye contact with her. A light pink dusted her cheeks as she toed the dirt with her sandal. "It's nice to meet you." She muttered.

Inari, ignoring her strange behavior, grinned at her. "Nice to meet you too, Emiko. How old are you?"

"Seven…" She whispered.

"Wow, you look really grown up for your age." Inari said.

Sakura giggled when she saw Emiko's pink cheeks become red. She decided she would tease the small girl about it later. "What are you two doing here?" She asked.

"We came as soon as we heard Konoha was in trouble." Tazuna answered, rolling his eyes as Inari tried to coax Emiko to come out and talk to him.

Kakashi walked up at that moment. "Ah, you're already here."

"Daddy!" Emiko bolted from behind Naruto and into her father's waiting arms. She held his hand tightly and hid behind him as he walked over to the group. She flinched when he stopped right beside Inari so she had nowhere to hide.

Tazuna eyed the small girl curiously. "This is your daughter? You never mentioned her."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yes, well, we only just found each other again." It didn't go unnoticed by him when Emiko allowed Inari to take her hand and hug the small girl. He quickly pulled his daughter back to his side.

Tazuna looked around. "Where's Sasuke? I wanted to talk to him too."

A heavy silence fell over the group. Emiko bit her lip to keep her tears at bay. To distract herself, she plopped down on the ground and began to doodle in the dirt.

"Sasuke and I got in a fight." Naruto explained with a grin on his face. "He left the village for a while but I'll bring him back."

Inari grinned as he knelt down beside Emiko. "Can I draw with you?"

Emiko's face turned red again and she nodded shyly. She glanced up at Inari as he drew a few clouds intently in the dirt. She drew a small sun above the clouds Inari drew.

"Well, we should get back to work." Tazuna said.

Inari stood up and brushed the dirt from his pants. He grinned at Emiko. "Maybe we can play together later."

"Yeah…" Emiko said shyly, refusing to meet his gaze.

Naruto grinned as Inari and Tazuna walked off. "You like Inari."

Emiko's face burst into flame. "I do not!" She let out a small squeak as Kakashi scooped her up.

"She's much too young to be liking boys." Kakashi stated firmly. He gave Emiko a stern look. "You can't date until you're 29."

"What!?" Emiko yelped indignantly. "That's not fair! You and Mommy had me way before you two were 29!"

"Hey, guys!" Kiba rode up on Akamaru. "They've replaced Tsunade as Hokage with some guy named Danzo and he's given permission for Sasuke to be disposed of!"

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**I know the chapters really short guys and I apologize for that! I'll try to get back in the flow of writing longer chapters. Right now, I have a little Siamese kitten sitting on me demanding attention so I must go. Review please!**


	59. Kumo Nin

**Welcome back for yet another installment of Akatsuki Baby. I'm getting really irritated with Kishimoto. He's making it to where I almost hate Sasuke and I really don't wanna hate Sasuke.**

**Wow! We're over 700 reviews now! You guys make me super happy! (…god I need to stop watching noggin when I'm babysitting…)**

**Sakura02: The kitty is evil! It jumps up on the table and steals my food like a ninja! You know you love the cuteness that is Inari and Emiko. **

**xXxMatsurikaxXx: Aw, but it's so much fun to torture Sakura02…I'll be nice though.**

**XxBloodyRiverxX: Yeah, hopefully I won't catch up again. I'm working on the second draft of my novel right now so hopefully I can start sending it out to agents around December.**

**silver-nightstorm: I'm still not sure who Emiko will ultimately end up with. I might do a poll to see who you guys think she should get with. **

**cheeky half-demon: Well, she's certainly not going to sit quietly while people try and kill her Sasu-chan.**

**Crystal Kira: Sakura02 and I are still discussing whom Emiko should get with though I definitely think her with Inari is adorable. The kitten is very loud. She screams if you close the door and she can't get in.**

**Day 2 live Day 2 die: Yay! I luv cookies!**

**Wooden Skies: I believe Inari is probably about 12. Aw, don't sit in the emo corner! Will a new chapter make it better?**

**Thank you to: Fawks Foxxx, CuttlefishShiz, Azura Soul Reaver, Sora96, RitsukaAyaogi, Bonds of Hatred, kidinlotsoftrouble, Titanium-Lioness, and Usagi323 for reviewing!**

**Just a quick note: Kumo means cloud.**

* * *

"What's 'dispose' mean?" Emiko asked, becoming more and more nervous at the looks of shock on her father's and Naruto's faces. "Daddy, what does it mean?"

Kakashi sighed before smiling at his daughter. "Emiko, go play while we sort all this out."

Emiko opened her mouth to retort. She bit her lip at the serious look she saw on her father's face. "Okay…" She walked as slowly as possible, trying to hear what Naruto was shouting about. What she heard, she didn't like. They wanted to kill Sasuke.

"Hey, what's a little girl doing here all by herself?"

Emiko looked up. A very tan male and female stood before her. She huffed indignantly and glared at the female. "I'm not a little girl. What're a bunch of Kumo nin doing here?" She remembered the last time she had had a run in with a Kumo nin. Sasuke and the others had been hurt badly.

"Hey, Kurai, be nice to the kid." The guy said lazily. He knelt down and smiled at Emiko. "What's your name, Cutie? I'm Omoi."

"I'm Emiko." She said, keeping her guard up. She frowned for a moment. "Why are you guys here?"

Kurai glared at Emiko. "It's none of your business, Chibi."

Emiko's eyes widened slightly as she thought back to what little she had heard Kiba say to Kakashi and them. "You guys are the ones that want Sasu-chan dead!"

"You know Sasuke?" Kurai hissed. She began to draw her sword.

"Oi, Kurai, she's just a kid!" Omoi said.

"I don't care!" Kurai pointed the tip of her sword at Emiko's throat. "You are going to tell me everything you know about Uchiha Sasuke."

"Never!" Emiko screamed as she turned on her heels and ran. She had never run so fast in her life. She could hear Kurai and Omoi on her heels. A few feet ahead of her, she could see a familiar blonde ahead of her. "Naru-chan!!" She screamed as she launched herself at him.

"Woah!" Naruto barely managed to catch Emiko in his arms before he had Kurai's sword pointed at him. He protectively put Emiko behind him, glaring at the newcomers.

"Tell me everything you know about Sasuke." Kurai hissed.

It was all a blur to Emiko as she watched the three Konoha nin fight the two Kumo nin. She squeaked as Sakura flew past her, watching as Naruto barely managed to catch the pink haired female. "Sakura, are you okay?" Emiko asked worriedly, kneeling beside Sakura.

Sakura smiled reassuringly at her before glaring at the Kumo nin. "Why should we tell you anything about Sasuke?"

Kurai snarled. "Because he attacked our village! He took our master!"

Surprise was written all over Naruto's face. "Why would Sasuke do that?"

Omoi shrugged. "How the hell should we know what Akatsuki wants?"

Naruto's head whipped over to where a very nervous Emiko was suddenly interested in the dirt. "Emiko, why didn't you tell us!?"

"I didn't think it was that important!" She wailed. "They must be talking about Killer Bee-san!"

Kurai's full attention was now on Emiko. "You knew our master!?"

"Emiko," Sai said softly as he placed a gentle hand on top of her head. He smiled at her when she looked up at him with tearful eyes. "don't say anything else."

She nodded numbly. Emiko lowered her head but she could still feel the angry eyes of Kurai on her. Sasuke had hurt these people by taking their master. Now, these people wanted to hurt Sasuke. If they hurt Sasuke, Emiko would hurt them. It was just as Pein had said; revenge only brings more revenge.

Emiko was snapped from her thoughts when Sakura began to cry. She wrapped her arms around Sakura's middle and hugged her tightly. "Don't cry, Sakura. I'm sorry. I shouldn't of let Sasu-chan hurt Killer Bee-san."

Sakura said nothing, her sobs only increasing.

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**I'm soooooo sorry guys but I have to stop it here! I've got to go to work and then spend a fun filled evening with homework. Please review and let me know what you thought!**


	60. Wherever You Go

**Roar!!! I officially no longer love Sasuke which makes me very sad.**

**silver-nightstorm: I'm pretty sure she'll have a happy ending. As for who she gets with…**

**Wooden Skies: Yes, there are three people with the Raikage but I think the other one wandered off somewhere. AHH! Why would you put anchovies in my delicious cookie!? That's so cruel *cries in emo corner***

**Crystal Kira: Aw, I'm sorry to hear that about your cat. I know how hard it is to lose an animal. Our kitten is doing well. She's crazy and likes running up walls like a ninja.**

**Sakura02: I'm nice to you sometimes! I spent all Friday with you! Lol, no I won't allow Sakura to do the annoying praying pose thing.**

**Hopeless45: Ah, I'm still not quite sure who Emiko is ultimately going to end up with. In a few more weeks, I'm going to put up a poll to see what you guys think!**

**Sora96: No! Please don't turn emo!! Here's a new chapter!!! **

**Thank you to: Azura Soul Reaver, Haruna Uchiha, XxBloodyRiverxX, Sun Geisha, kidinlotsoftrouble, CuttlefishShiz, Bonds of Hatred, EvilBoyzR2Cute, Usagi323, and Kinuta U. for reviewing!! You guys are awesome!**

* * *

Naruto looked down at where Emiko was trying her hardest to comfort Sakura. "Emiko, the Akatsuki wants the host alive when they capture them, right?"

Emiko nodded, finally pulling away from Sakura and attaching herself to Naruto. "Yeah…" She grabbed his hand and held it tightly, smiling when she felt his finger rubbing soothingly over her knuckles.

"Really!?" Kurai suddenly seemed more interested in Emiko.

"Uh huh." Emiko said nervously, hiding behind Naruto. She really hated how some people could be so mean to her one minute and then when they wanted something from her, they tried to be her friend.

"See?" Naruto interjected, picking Emiko up and holding her close. "You should focus on finding your master, not killing Sasuke. I'll even help you guys find him and tell you everything I know about Akatsuki."

"And Sasuke!" Kurai said excitedly. "What's your name, Blondie?"

"Naruto." He answered.

"Me too! I'll go too!" Emiko exclaimed, wrapping her arms tightly around Naruto's neck. "I'm not gonna let you go all by yourself with those mean people."

Naruto grinned. "Aw, you're so sweet, Emiko."

"I gotta protect my Naru-chan!" Emiko giggled as she rubbed her nose against Naruto's.

"Ugh, you guys are making me sick." Kurai snarled.

"I think it's kind of cute." Omoi said.

* * *

"What are you doing!?" Emiko howled in rage as Omoi held her arm tightly. She continued to scream as Kurai pummeled Naruto into the ground. In a desperate attempt she clawed furiously at Omoi's arm.

"Hey, you better stop that." Omoi said calmly. He frowned at the rivulets of blood flowing down his arm. "You're part of Akatsuki, aren't you?" he asked, motioning towards her dress.

"No!" Emiko yelped as Omoi picked her up off the ground and turned her this way and that. "I was raised by them."

"Hey, leave her alone!" Naruto coughed out as Kurai continued pounding him into the ground.

Omoi smiled at Emiko as he held her up in the air. "Your friend is awfully stubborn. You wanna tell me about Uchiha Sasuke?"

Emiko stuck her tongue out at him. "He's my ex-fiancé and he's ten times cuter than you!"

"Argh, just shut that damn kid up!" Kurai shouted. She glared furiously first at Emiko and then at back at where Naruto was weakly supporting himself against the wall of the shed.

"Leave him alone!" Emiko kicked Omoi in the face and ran over to Naruto. She stood protectively in front of Naruto. "Stop hurting Naru-chan!"

"Get out of my way, kid." Kurai hissed.

"No!" Emiko refused to budge. "If you keep hurting Naruto, I'll hurt you! If you hurt Sasu-chan, I'll hurt you!"

"That's it, brat!" Kurai brought her fist back, prepared to punch Emiko. She hissed as her fist was caught by Sai.

"Sai…Emiko…stay out of this…" Naruto whispered.

"I don't understand…" Sai ground out as he held Kurai at bay. "Why do you and Emiko insist on protecting him? He's done nothing but hurt you."

"Sai, it's my decision." Naruto answered. "Emiko, move out of the way…" He patted her head. "It'll be okay."

"Fine, if you won't move, I'll beat the carp out of you!" Kurai shouted.

"That's enough." Omoi grabbed Kurai's arm. "Even after having the carp beaten out of him, he still didn't sell out his friend. I like him."

"Naru-chan, are you okay!?" Emiko wrapped her arms around Naruto's head as he collapsed to the ground. She kissed the top of the head and glared angrily over at Kurai and Omoi.

Omoi grinned at her. "Hey, don't look so angry. A cute girl like yourself shouldn't be so mad."

"Are you causing trouble, Kurai?" Samui appeared before them, taking one look at Naruto's beaten form.

"Please, take me with you…" Naruto said around Emiko's arms. "I want to speak to the Raikage…"

Samui raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry but I can't allow you to meet with the Raikage when he won't have his full guard." She glanced at Emiko and frowned. "Are you an Akatsuki?"

"No…" Emiko whispered, stroking Naruto's hair soothingly. She kissed his forehead. "You Kumo Nin are a bunch of bullies…"

"Emiko, hush." Naruto said warningly. "We need to get you new clothes." He said thoughtfully as he looked at her Akatsuki dress.

"Kurai, Omoi, come with me." Samui said and led them off.

"Sai, take me to Kakashi." Naruto said as he shakily stood up. He looked at Emiko. "Emiko, if…"

"I'll go with you." Emiko interjected with a grin on her face. "Wherever you go, I'll go with you, Naru-chan. I won't let you save Sasu-chan alone."

Despite how much his face hurt, Naruto grinned and took Emiko's hand in his. "Thank you, Emiko."

* * *

**Aw, I'm sorry if it's a little short guys. I'm getting behind on my homework and it's never good to get behind in school, let alone college. In a few weeks, I'm going to put a poll up to see who you all think Emiko should end up with. If there is someone you absolutely want to be in the poll, let me know! Review and let me know your thoughts! **


	61. Preparing to Leave

**I can't wait for this semester to be over so I can be done with my 8 am class. Blazer Laser Tag was awesome yesterday, though! I totally kicked Sakura02's ass :)!**

**silver-nightstorm: I completely agree with you! Sasuke is a super douche now!**

**kidinlotsoftrouble: Whoever Emiko gets with, Kakashi will have to approve of. So…she may be single for a long time.**

**Usagi323: Kurai was beating up Naruto because he wouldn't tell her anything about Sasuke.**

**Thank you: XxBloodyRiverxX, Sakura02, Azura Soul Reaver, Haruna Uchiha, CuttlefishShiz, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, Bonds of Hatred, and Sora96 for reviewing.**

* * *

Emiko sat patiently beside Naruto as Sai bandaged him up. She looked up at her father for a moment before averting her eyes. "Naru-chan, are you sure you're okay."

Naruto grinned at her. "Don't worry, Emiko! I'm totally fine! I heal fast anyways so it's not a big deal."

Kakashi sighed. "I think it would be best for you to rest for a few days, Naruto."

"I've gotta go meet the Raikage!" Naruto shouted, shaking Sai off of him. "I'm going to convince him to not kill Sasuke."

"Emiko," Kakashi said firmly. "wait outside."

Emiko huffed but did as she was told. She sat outside the fence, listening to the voices inside the tent rise and fall. She plopped down on the ground, completely bored. She missed Itachi and she wished she knew where he was. She looked up in time to see the hooded figure from before. She shot up. "What are you doing here?"

The person stared at her for a moment before running off.

"Wait!" Emiko leapt up and ran after the person. She could barely see the person ahead of her. The hooded figure led her to the training grounds. By the time Emiko got there, the person was gone. There was a scroll in the middle of the field. Cautiously, Emiko approached the scroll and picked it up. She flipped it around slowly in her hand.

"There you are!" Kakashi walked over to his little girl and scooped her up. "I take my eyes off you for one minute and you vanish." He looked at the scroll in Emiko's hand. "What's that?"

"I found it." Emiko clutched it to her chest. "I wanna keep it."

Kakashi sighed. "Fine. Are you going to come with us to talk to the Raikage?"

Emiko's eyes lit up. "You'll let me?"

"Naruto insisted you come with us." Kakashi carried Emiko back towards the village. He paused when he saw Sai approaching them. He placed Emiko on the ground and ruffled her hair. "Go make sure Naruto is ready to leave."

Emiko looked between Sai and her father for a moment before scurrying back to the tent. She arrived back just as Naruto was putting on his cloak. "Naru-chan, I'm coming with you!"

Naruto grinned and knelt down as Emiko ran at him. He hugged her tightly. "Maybe with the two of us working together, we can get Sasuke to come back."

Emiko wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck. "Naru-chan, will you help me with something?"

"What?" Naruto pulled Emiko away a little. He blinked as she shoved the scroll in his face. "Where'd you get that?"

"Promise you won't tell my daddy?" Emiko shuffled her feet nervously as Naruto nodded. "A person left it. I think it's for me. What's it say?"

Naruto gently took the scroll from Emiko and rolled it around in his hand. "It says 'Emiko' on the front."

"So it's for me?" Emiko took the scroll back from Naruto and rested against him. "Will you help me read it?"

Naruto looked up as Kakashi returned. "Later. I promise." He grinned as Kakashi approached them. "I've got some unfinished business to take care of. I'll be right back."

Kakashi frowned disapprovingly down at Emiko's attire. She was still wearing her Akatsuki dress. "You need to change."

Emiko fiddled with her dress. "But…I like my dress." She looked pleadingly up at Kakashi. "Please can I keep my dress?"

"Stop making that face." Kakashi said sternly. "Stop…don't you give me those puppy eyes!" He sighed. "Fine. But you have to wear a cloak over it."

"Thank you, Daddy!" Emiko hugged her father tightly. She bounced happily on her heels as Kakashi buttoned up her cloak. "I look just like you, Daddy!"

Kakashi chuckled before tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Well, not yet. Close your eyes."

Emiko did as she was told. She shuddered as something cool touched her forehead. She opened her eyes when Kakashi told her to. "What is it, Daddy?"

He tapped his forehead protector. "It was your mothers. She left it when she vanished. I think she would've liked you to have it."

Emiko felt the cold metal and traced the Konoha insignia. Tears filled her eyes and she sniffled. "Thank you, Daddy." She tackled Kakashi to the ground. "I love you!"

Kakashi chuckled and kissed Emiko's forehead. "Wait here for me, Naruto, and Yamato, okay?"

Emiko waved as her father disappeared. She plopped down on the ground to wait for her father's return. While she waited, she played with the string that bound the scroll tightly shut. She wondered what was inside the scroll and why the person had left it behind. More importantly, she wondered who that person was.

* * *

**Hmmm…I may have to do a little mini-filler arc so that we don't catch up with the manga. That wouldn't be good. Review please!**


	62. Learning

**Bah, sorry I didn't update the other week guys! You know the excuse: work, school, etc…**

**So, we're going to have a little mini filler arc in which Emiko learns to read and figures out what's written in the scroll.**

**Sakura02: NOOO! Don't throw my ipod out the window! I'll be so very sad.**

**Fawks Foxxx: Well, in the first half of the story, Emiko was only four. While she may have been able to start learning to read, she left to Konoha and that all got thrown off. Now, she's been so mad at her family the past couple of years, I don't think she would've sat still long enough for them to teach her.**

**Sun Geisha: I don't think I ever said I wouldn't be following the manga. There are certain aspects I'm not going to follow, like Itachi dying, but otherwise, I'm sticking to the canon plotline. Concerning her ability to notice and point out things, I would say because her father was a genius (he was in Anbu by the time he was 13) and she was raised by geniuses. It just kind of rubbed off on her. Also, children in general are very observant of what is going on around them if you listen to them. **

**Thank you to: Haruna Uchiha, Azura Soul Reaver, CuttlefishShiz, Usagi323, Bonds of Hatred, kidinlotsoftrouble, Meco45, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, Kuragari Rya, and Akuma Hana for reviewing!**

* * *

"What's this one?" Emiko frowned thoughtfully as she stared at the alphabet book Naruto had gotten her before they left. She twisted the book this way and that in her hands, trying to decipher the lines squiggling across the page.

Naruto peered over Emiko's shoulder. "We've gone over that one. You know it."

Emiko pouted. "Um…it's the symbol for…" She peered intensely at the sign. She had seen it before, she knew that. It was so familiar to her if she could just remember. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Love! It's the same one on Gaa-chan's forehead!" She grinned as she remembered the red haired Kazekage. "Is Gaa-chan gonna be at the meeting?"

"I assume he will be since he is a Kage." Kakashi glanced at his daughter. "Why?"

"I miss him!" Emiko crowed. "I wonder if he's gotten prettier since the last time I saw him…" She didn't notice the way Kakashi's eyes widened or how Naruto began laughing. "He looks like an adorable panda!"

"So…where exactly did you two find this scroll?" Kakashi asked, desperately wanting to change the subject from who his daughter found attractive.

Emiko and Naruto exchanged nervous glances. Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. "Um…Emiko found it just kind of lying around." The two had managed to cover up Emiko's name on the scroll before Kakashi had seen it.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "That's rather suspicious. Maybe it would be better for you to hand the scroll over…"

"No!" Emiko protested. "I found it! It's mine! Please don't take it from me, Daddy. Maybe I can learn something that'll help me help everyone! I…I wanna be useful and make everything better again…"

Kakashi sighed. She was so much like her mother that it broke his heart. "Fine. Just…be careful with it."

Emiko's eyes lit up and she leapt forward, attaching herself to her father's back. "Thank you, Daddy."

Kakashi glared over at where Naruto was laughing at him. "Just wait until you have a daughter of your own. Let's see how well you do with her making puppy eyes at you."

"You're silly, Daddy." Emiko giggled. "Naru-chan can't resist my puppy eyes!"

Naruto nodded his head sagely. "I don't think anyone can…Hey!" He snapped his fingers. "That's how we'll get them to not kill Sasuke! Emiko can just stare at them with her puppy eyes! There's no way they can say no to her!"

Yamato sighed. "I've heard many stupid ideas in my time, Naruto, but that has to be one of the dumbest."

Emiko smiled as she listened to Naruto and Yamato argue about the plan. She glanced down at the scroll tied firmly around her waist and then back at the book of symbols in her hands. She wanted to learn to read so she could learn what was in the scroll.

The group set up camp a few hours later. It was dark by now and well past Emiko's bedtime. However, she was much too absorbed in learning how to read to bother with sleep. She was catching on fairly quickly and was able to read basic sentences with Kakashi's help. She sat in his lap while he helped her sound out the words on the pages. She fell asleep like that, curled up in her father's lap with him holding the book.

Naruto grinned as Kakashi tucked the exhausted seven year old into her pallet. "She's really cute when she's sleeping and not raising hell. She's a lot like Haruki-sensei…"

Kakashi looked up. "You remember Haruki?"

"Yeah…" Naruto scratched his head nervously. "It's weird. I haven't thought about her in forever and then all of a sudden, I just started remembering her. Emiko looks exactly like her…"

Kakashi looked down at his daughter's peaceful face and pushed a stray strand of hair from the sleeping girl's forehead. "Yes, she does." He frowned as Naruto stifled his laughter. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just really funny how you react when she talks about guys." Naruto laughed.

"Y-You just wait until you have a daughter and see how you feel about her liking boys!" Kakashi stammered.

Yamato rolled his eyes. "She doesn't like that many boys."

"Yeah!" Naruto chimed in. "Sure, she's got a crush on Inari now and she said Gaara was pretty but she only really loves one guy…"

The camp fell silent at that. Indeed, the only boy Emiko truly loved was somewhere far away plotting revenge against everyone. Kakashi sighed. "I think I'd rather her be in love with Gaara then Sasuke…"

Naruto tried to hold his laughter in. He knew this was a serious moment. But picturing Emiko with Gaara…he couldn't hold it in anymore and he fell over laughing. "T-That would be hilarious! Could you picture her with him!?"

"No!" Kakashi shouted. "She's not dating until she's 29 at the earliest! And you most certainly won't be allowed near her!"

"Hey, who said I'd want to date Emiko!" Naruto shouted. "Sure she's cute but she's only seven!"

"She won't be seven forever!" Kakashi argued.

Yamato sighed. He was growing weary of all the fighting. "Would you two just be quiet! You're going to wake her up and then you two are going to have to deal with a cranky Emiko. Do you want that?"

Both Kakashi and Naruto thought about Emiko when she was sleep deprived and shuddered. They both immediately shut up. Kakashi cleared his throat. "Well, Yamato, if you'll take the first watch…"

* * *

Emiko wasn't sure what it was that woke her from her deep sleep. She shot up in her pallet only to find herself squished between Kakashi and Naruto. Yamato was sound asleep by the campfire. She absorbed her surroundings before she noticed a shadow moving around in the trees. Careful not to wake her father and Naruto up, Emiko slipped out from the camp and chased after the hooded person. When the person finally stopped, she realized it was the same person that had left her the scroll. "Who are you?"

The person shook their head. They beckoned for Emiko to come closer.

"I'm not supposed to go with strangers." Emiko stated.

The person tilted their head to the side and continued to hold their hand out.

Emiko looked around. She didn't sense anything bad about the person in front of her. Cautiously, she took a step towards the person, her small hand reaching out to the mysterious person's slightly larger one. Just as she was about to place her hand in the person's, a twig snapped behind her.

"Oi, Emiko, what're you doing out here?" Naruto mumbled sleepily.

"This person…" Emiko looked around and saw the person had once again disappeared. "I just had a bad dream…" She went over to Naruto and hugged him.

Naruto blinked but picked her up. "Jeez, Emiko, you're sure getting a lot heavier."

"Shut up, Naru-chan." Emiko puffed her cheeks out and pulled on his hair. "You should never discuss a ladies weight."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh as he carried Emiko back to the camp.

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**Hooray for updates!!! So, who is this mysterious person and why do they keep appearing before Emiko? Will Emiko's puppy eyes persuade the Kages to not kill Sasuke? Review and find out!**


	63. Meeting the Kages

**Holy cheese cows it feels like I haven't updated in forever! Thank you all for being so patient! Updates** **will be much more regular now until classes start up again in late January.**

**Akatsuki-Hidan: The mystery person shall reveal themselves soon…ish**

**Sun Geisha: I don't see how Kakashi teaching Sasuke Chidori makes him a bastard. As for him becoming an Anbu, he was a genius, hence being able to become a captain so young. If you base it off of being unemotional, Sasuke should've been one by now.**

**flora236: I cracked up when I read your review because all I could picture was Sasuke on a white horse whisking Emiko away. It was amazingly hilarious! I thank you for that :)**

**Thanks to: kidinlotsoftrouble, I-love-red-head-ninjas, Meco45, Sakura02, Azura Soul Reaver, angel897, Akuma Hana, Fawks Foxxx, Bonds of Hatred, CuttlefishShiz, LunaBell08, Sarcastic Tofu, random person, silver-nightstorm, Usagi323, Toph Eujing, XxBloodyRiverxX, Haruna Uchiha, beyondbirthday937, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, Ray-nee-chan, Yuiko-chan, and elfenwindakachrno for reviewing! You guys are awesome for being so patient with me!**

* * *

"Emiko, what's the scroll say?" Naruto asked, peering curiously over Emiko's shoulder to try and catch a glimpse.

"None of your business!" Emiko yelped and quickly snapped the scroll shut. She fidgeted nervously with the scroll for a moment before placing in her waist pouch. The contents of the scroll scared her. She wondered why the mysterious person would give her such a terrible jutsu to learn. Nevertheless, she had committed it to memory and simply hoped she would never have to use it.

"You two be quiet." Kakashi hissed, peering around the snow covered rock. He could see the Raikage and his group.

"Come out, Konoha ninjas!" Samui snapped irritably.

"It's your fault they spotted us." Emiko muttered to Naruto as the group stepped out from their hiding spot. She stayed close to Kakashi as they approached the Raikage. She tilted her head to the side as the Kumo nin whispered among themselves and Kakashi explained their situation. Without anyone noticing, Emiko managed to get right beside the Raikage.

The Raikage blinked when he felt a tug at his cloak. He glared down at the small girl. "What do you want?" he barked.

Emiko frowned. "You may look like Mr. Killer Bee but you're way meaner than him."

"Emiko, get over here now!" Kakashi snapped.

"But…" Emiko bit her tongue when she saw the fierce look on Kakashi's masked face. She skipped back over to stand beside Naruto, turning around only briefly to stick her tongue out at the Raikage.

"How do you know Killer Bee?" The Raikage asked.

"I was there when him and Sasu-chan fought." Emiko stated, not noticing the panic stricken look on Kakashi's face.

Before the Raikage could press Emiko further, Naruto cut in. "Please, stop Uchiha Sasuke's execution! He's my friend and I can't sit back and watch him die! I don't want anymore people getting caught up in revenge!"

Emiko opened her mouth to shout at the Raikage as he turned his back on Naruto. She was startled when said teenager suddenly kneeled in the snow and began pleading with the Raikage. She managed to keep her tears at bay until she heard Naruto crying.

The Raikage was silent for a moment. "I'm going to kill Sasuke. It's up to you and your group to make sure it stops there."

"Please, though he isn't skilled at it," Kakashi said. "this boy is begging you for the sake of both Konoha and Kumo."

The Raikage scoffed and turned his back on the group. "He won't get far in this world if he continues to act stupidly like that."

Kakashi sighed as he attempted to get Naruto to stand. "Emiko, talk to…" He looked around, suddenly alarmed. "Where's Emiko?"

* * *

"It's about time you showed up." The Tsuchikage sneered.

The Raikage simply rolled his eyes. He blinked when he sat down and heard a small 'omph'. "What the hell?"

Emiko quickly wriggled herself out from under the Raikage and landed less than gracefully on the table in front of all the Kages. She stuck her tongue out. "You smell gross."

Gaara blinked. "Emiko…" His eyes widened as he suddenly had an arm and lapful of Emiko.

"Gaa-chan, I've missed you!" She hugged him tightly. "You smell like rainbows and sunshine! Much better than that icky man over there!" She looked at all the people, her eyes falling on Danzo. A shudder went through her as she pointed at him. "You smell like sorrow and despair."

"What is the meaning of this!?" Snapped Mifune. "Outsiders aren't allowed in here, Raikage!"

"I didn't know she was there!" The Raikage shouted defensively. He glared accusingly over at the small girl happily nestled in Gaara's lap. "How did you sneak in?"

"I just hid under your jacket and held on to you." Emiko stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Since you wouldn't listen to Naruto, you'll have to listen to me." She blinked when she felt a warm hand on her head. "What's wrong, Gaa-chan?"

"Emiko," Gaara said firmly but with a soft tone. "now is not the time to play games. These are serious matters we are attending to."

"Like Akatsuki, right?" Emiko asked. Just saying the name caused a tight lump to well in her throat. "They're all dead you know. Well, except for Mama, 'Same, 'Tsu, Tob—Madara, and 'T—" She cut herself off, remembering nobody was supposed to know about Itachi still being alive. "…Mama isn't gonna fight anymore 'cause Papa liked Naru-chan and she doesn't want to interfere with Naru-chan. I know 'Same and 'Tsu are still working under Madara-bastard…" She yelped at the light whap to her head.

Gaara tapped her nose reproachfully. "Language."

The Tsuchikage stared at her. "How does she know so much about Akatsuki?"

Emiko wriggled out of Gaara's arms and stood in the middle of the table. She curtsied low, revealing the outline of her Akatsuki dress. "I'm Hatake Senju Seika Emiko. Seika was the name my mommy and daddy gave me but 'Tachi and the others raised me and called me Emiko so I go by Emiko."

The Mizukage's eyes widened. "This is the girl that was raised by Akatsuki?"

"Yes." Gaara answered as he briefly stood from his chair long enough to grab Emiko and place her back in his lap. "Let me speak for now, Emiko." Gaara said softly. He turned his attention back to the other Kages. "Akatsuki kidnapped and nearly killed me because I was a host. I requested aid from your countries to help stop them from gaining so many of the Jinchuriki but none of you ever did."

The Tsuchikage scoffed. "If a country has lost it's host, they should recover it in secret. It's embarrassing if you lose one."

Gaara turned nonchalant eyes to the Tsuchikage. "I have no time for such old-fashioned ideals as appearance."

"Just because they have them doesn't mean anything." The Mizukage piped in. "It takes time for a new host to adjust and adapt. Besides," she smiled warmly at Emiko's suspicious face. "we have this adorable child to tell us all we need to know about Akatsuki."

Emiko buried her face in Gaara's chest, not liking all the attention suddenly turned to her. "I don't know what Madara wants with all the Jinchuriki. I always knew him as Tobi…I always thought Papa was the leader…" She sniffled and suddenly burst into tears. "Papa and the others weren't bad! They all really loved me and played with me and took care of me! It's all Madara's fault that their dead! I hate him! He hurt 'Tachi too! And now he's hurting Sasu-chan! I hate him!"

"Temari…" Gaara called. He wiped most of Emiko's tears away before handing her off to his sister so that the meeting could continue.

"Hey now, sweetie, no crying." Temari cooed. "You're a ninja and we aren't supposed to cry in front of people, remember?"

Emiko sniffled but nodded her head. "Can I go back to Gaa-chan now?" Before waiting for Temari to answer, she strode back into the room and plopped herself down in Gaara's lap. She blinked as the Raikage suddenly stood up, as though he was about to attack.

Gaara tightened his hold around Emiko's waist though he gave no outward appearance of being concerned. He looked impassively at all the bodyguards that stood protectively in front of each of their Kages. "Temari, Kankuro, stand down."

While the chaos of calming everyone raged around her, Emiko felt a sudden shiver crawl down her spine. She looked up at the ceiling and for a brief moment, she swore she saw a pair of familiar, angry, red eyes.

* * *

**And….we're going to stop there. Once again, I can't thank you all enough for being so patient! Please review and let me know your thoughts!**


	64. The Meeting Continues

**Wow, guys!! Over 800 reviews and 100,000 hits for this story! Thank you all so much for continuing to read and enjoy this story!**

**Is it bad that I find it more of a chore to read Naruto now then a joy? Don't panic! I'm not going to abandon this story. I've put way too much time into it. I simply think Naruto should've ended a while ago and if not, it should end sooner rather than later….**

**Sun Geisha: I don't know whether I'll have Emiko learn to summon or not. If she did, I wouldn't know what she would summon so….we'll see.**

**Sakura02: For sure they will! They'll make cookies together, and little friendship bracelets, and go on road trips… :P**

**elfenwindakachrno: Don't get me wrong, Sasuke's going to be a super jerk for a while…but, I have my own plans for how I'm going to end this story if I don't like Kishimoto's version…not that I really like anything he's doing anymore…**

**flora236: Haha, no, no shonen-ai in this story. :)**

**Allistra: Haha, no offense is taken. It's hard writing about a small ninja girl because I do want to write her kicking Danzo and Madara's asses all over the place but I have to try and keep it as "realistic" as possible and remember that she is only seven years old. **

**Thanks: Bonds of Hatred, Eryn Goddess of Chaos, DettaDetta94, Azura Soul Reaver, kidinalotoftrouble, Ray-nee-chan, Meco45, Toph Eujing, CuttlefishShiz, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, Usagi323, Fawks Foxxx, Haruna Uchiha, WhisperInTheRain, Akuma Hana, Chaney2250, silver-nightstorm, darkaquarian96, and chibimuffin1 for reviewing!**

* * *

Eventually, the chaos quieted down and Emiko didn't see the red eyes anymore. Despite Kankuro and Temari's best efforts, Emiko refused to leave Gaara's lap and hugged him tightly around his waist so they couldn't be separated. She continued to glare over at Danzo. She didn't like him. Something was weird about him and it made her sick to her stomach every time she even glanced at him. What unnerved her more was that he kept staring at her.

The Raikage snarled as he looked around the room. "I don't trust any of you. Akatsuki has a missing-nin member from every single one of your villages. What's worse is some of you have even used Akatsuki to further your own purposes."

Emiko felt Gaara's arms stiffen around her. She hugged him tightly. "Gaa-chan…?"

"Used Akatsuki?" Gaara whispered, a look of honest shock crossing his face."

"I called everyone here to see where your true loyalties lie!" The Raikage continued, not noticing the turmoil Gaara was falling into.

"What do you mean, 'used Akatsuki'?" Gaara finally snapped.

Emiko flinched at his angry tone. It reminded her of when Sasuke got particularly angry and she didn't like it. She continued to hug him, hoping he would calm down.

The Tsuchikage stared at Gaara for a moment. "Since the nations are experiencing a relative sense of peace, they are moving from military expansion to disarmament. However, there is always the threat of war breaking out…"

"So you use a mercenary group like Akatsuki!?" Gaara snarled out. He looked down at Emiko. "Did you know!?"

Emiko whimpered and quickly shook her head. "Mama and Papa never really told me anything about what they did. I didn't know, honest, Gaa-chan. Please don't be mad…"

Gaara's eyes softened a bit and he finally returned Emiko's hug. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I know it wasn't your fault."

Emiko tried to block out Raikage's shouting as she happily snuggled into Gaara. He was really warm. Not like Sasuke. Sasuke used to always feel warm when he held Emiko but not anymore. He was so cold now she felt she need to hold him so he wouldn't freeze to death. She snapped to attention when Danzo began to speak.

"I'm almost certain that Uchiha Madara is the leader of Akatsuki." He said slowly.

"Emiko-chan said something like that earlier." The Mizukage said. She smiled again at the hesitant child.

"Is it that big of a deal that he's the leader?" Emiko asked the Mizukage softly. There it was again; her shyness towards women.

"He should be long dead." The Tsuchikage huffed out.

"He's not." Emiko stuck her tongue out at the old man. "He's alive and the biggest bastard I've ever—ow Gaa-chan!" Emiko whined as Gaara pinched her arm.

"No cussing." Gaara said firmly.

"Fine." Emiko huffed. "He's evil and I hate him. He used my family and killed my mother. And now he's using Sasu-chan's hatred…"

Mifune nodded slowly as he listened. "With the way things are going, things aren't looking good. But, there's a silver lining to all this; it's rare for all of the Kages to come together like this. What's say we form a five village alliance. The chain of command will have to be uniform so as to avoid more in fighting."

"So, who is going to have complete control over this new army?" The Tsuchikage asked.

"Oh! Oh! Me! I'll be in charge!" Emiko grinned. "Ow, Gaa-chan! I'm gonna bruise and then you're gonna be in trouble." Emiko whimpered as Gaara pulled on her cheek.

Mifune stared at them for a moment. "I will choose who is in command seeing as I am the neutral party here."

"I still think I'd be a good leader…" Emiko ducked as Gaara attempted to smack her head. "Ha!" She stuck her tongue out at him.

"You better put that tongue back in your mouth before I yank it out." Gaara glared, though the anger didn't reach his eyes. He actually enjoyed just having Emiko there being herself. It made him feel more at ease for some strange reason.

"I believe that since the nine-tails beast is the only one left, the Hokage should be in charge." Mifune said.

"What!?" Rose the angry shouts from around the room.

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**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. What will happen next? Review and find out!**


	65. The Meeting Explodes

**Happy New Year!! Ugh, work has once again resumed but thankfully I don't start school until the 19****th****. I love you college!**

**There is now a poll asking all of you who you would like Emiko to possibly end up with. Please vote in it and let me know what you think! I'm not sure how long I'll keep it up yet but it will be for a while.**

**Sakura02: Lol. Gaara fears nothing! He could just have a glaring contest with Itachi since he may or may not be alive (damn Kishimoto).**

**Rabid Cream Puffs: Aw, thank you for the cookies!!! You're super sweet.**

**chibimuffin1: I want my cupcakes! Yes, Tsunade is currently in a coma and Danzo replaced her. That's why he's at the Kage meeting of Doom….thing…**

**itachisasuke: Yes, Pein stabbed her. By the time she had woken up, Itachi had taken care of her wound. Haruki didn't give Seika any of the memory altering powder because she was a baby. Itachi took care of the rest of the villagers. Haruki had no control over how the memories were altered so it was just random. I hope that answers your questions.**

**MarzaPanda: Ha, yeah, I'm not good at writing romance so I just kind of wrote what I could. But, yeah, his mask was off.**

**IAmABoredGirlWithNothingToDo: Wow, that's probably the longest review I've ever gotten. No, I haven't read Hana to Akuma. I don't read much in the way of shoujo manga unless my friend shoves it down my throat. However, if you would like a one shot or story let me know what you'd want and I can see what I can do. I just looked it up and it looks interesting. Just send me a message and we can discuss the details. Yeah, sometimes if my heart isn't completely in the chapter, I skim over details just to get it over and done with. I know that's bad and I do apologize for that. As for Emiko's mood swings, I think it's because she's in such a difficult position in that she was raised by S-Class criminals that have taught her to keep her emotions at bay but at the same time, she's still little. I do see what you mean though and I'll work on that. **

**Thank you: LuvAnime4-Ever, ChojisGirl, darkaquarian96, angel897, silver-nightstorm, CuttlefishShiz, Azura Soul Reaver, Animuze, Akuma Hana, kidinlotsoftrouble, flora236, 'Nightengale'Serendade'93, Ray-nee-chan, Bonds of Hatred, The Kunoichi, Not-even-epic-FAIL, Usagi323, Haruna Uchiha, Wooden Skies, Miih…Cullen, Marshmallow73, Dominican Kitsune, and Song of the Cursed Child for reviewing.**

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"He shouldn't be in charge!" Emiko snapped, glaring angrily at Danzo. "He's an evil bas—person!" She quickly changed her word of choice when she saw the look Gaara gave her.

"The kid is actually talking sense." The Raikage snapped. "That man embodies everything wrong with the Ninja world."

Danzo frowned but remained calm. "Well then, who do you propose?"

Emiko raised her hand and frowned as Gaara calmly pushed it down. She attempted to raise her other hand but Gaara pushed that one down to her side . She tilted her head up to look at him. "If you let me be in charge, you can be my second in command."

"No." Was the only response Gaara gave her. He went back to looking straight ahead. "Put that hand down." Gaara said.

Emiko pouted and put her hand back in her lap. "I didn't even raise it that high…"

The Raikage faltered for a moment and glared over at Emiko. "Do you know how to shut up?"

Emiko returned the glare. "Do you know how to stop being an ass? I'm sorry, Gaa-chan!" She leapt out of Gaara's arms and flew over to the Mizukage's lap. She smiled sheepishly at the woman. "Hello Miss Mizukage."

The Mizukage smiled. "Hello there."

"Can you protect me from Gaa-chan and the idiot?" Emiko asked as she looked pleadingly up at the lady.

The Mizukage almost squealed. She hugged Emiko tightly. "Of course I'll protect you!"

The Raikage had a brief glaring contest with Emiko before returning to the conversation. "My village is the only one without any ties to Akatsuki. I should be—"

"I disagree." Mifune cut in. He glanced at the table that the Raikage had just destroyed. "You allow your emotions to take control far too easily. The Kazekage is too young and some people have difficulty even addressing him as such. The Tsuchikage is the oldest and has mobility issues. Besides, he's been used by Akatsuki far too many times. If the Mizukage was in charge there would be concerns about information leaks seeing as Akatsuki originated there. Since Konoha owns the Nine-tailed beast, it's only right that the Hokage be the leader."

"He doesn't own Naru-chan!" Emiko snapped. She had snuck back into Gaara's lap while Mifune had been rambling. "Nobody owns Naru-chan but me! So, if you're using that logic, I should be in charge!"

"Kazekage-sama," Mifune grit out. "please keep that…child quiet."

"I'll be quiet when you old people stop being so stupid." Emiko grouched. "People like you and Danzo shouldn't be in charge. It's people like you that make this world so sad and painful for everyone. People like Gaa-chan that really care about their villagers should be the leaders. It's this stupid old generation that hurt my 'Tachi and Sasu-chan and it's the old generation that continues to cause hatred to grow in this generation."

"You've got a smart mouth on you for someone so tiny." The Tsuchikage laughed.

"I'm taller than you." Emiko responded. She jumped nearly ten feet in the air when one of the Mizukage's bodyguards leapt behind the Mizukage.

"Let me see the eye underneath your bandages, Danzo." The man snapped. "Your right eye was stolen from Uchiha Shisui and implanted. Uchiha Shisui was able to get into his opponents mind and control them without them even noticing."

The Raikage whipped around to face Danzo. "Are you controlling Mifune!?"

Emiko screamed as a white thing suddenly spun into appearance in the middle of the table. "'Tsu!? Where's your other half!?"

"Hellllloooo." His white side grinned. "It's been a while, Emiko. Did you know Uchiha Sasuke is in the building? The question is where."

The Raikage snarled at Emiko. "She led the Akatsuki here!"

Zetsu laughed. "Oh no. Emiko had nothing to do with this. It was a shock to me to see her here."

Emiko was in complete shock. She barely heard the chaos going on around her. The only thing that registered in her head was that the Raikage wanted to kill Sasuke. Making sure no one was looking, Emiko quietly slipped out of the room. She needed to find Sasuke before anyone else did. Maybe she could convince him to stop his quest for revenge. Maybe she could convince him to come back to Konoha.

"Hello again, Emiko."

Emiko froze. She hadn't realized how far she had wandered from the meeting room. She stood rooted to her spot for a moment, simply staring at Sasuke. A chill went through her. "Sasu-chan…? What's wrong with you?" There was something different about him; something dark, sinister.

"Nothing's wrong with me, Emiko." He held his hand out to her. "I want you to help me."

"Help you…?" Emiko took a few steps backwards as Sasuke approached her. "I don't understand."

"Sasuke, the samurai are coming." Karin hissed. "We've got to go."

Sasuke ignored her and walked over to Emiko. He knelt in front of her and continued holding his hand out to her. "I want you to help me get my revenge."

Emiko had no where else to go. She had backed up into a wall and if she tried to move either way, Sasuke could easily grab her. "You want me to help you destroy Konoha?" She bit her lip. Itachi had made her swear not to tell anyone that he was still alive. She shook her head. "That's our home, Sasu-chan. Let's just go home, okay?"

Sasuke frowned. "That place isn't my home. They destroyed my family. I can't forgive them." His frown deepened as he placed his hand on Emiko's cheek and she flinched. "Emiko…" He rubbed his finger gently across her cheek. "You're coming with me." Sasuke said forcefully.

"No…" Emiko tried to move her face from Sasuke but couldn't. She winced as his fingers dug into her face. "Sasu-chan, you're hurting me."

"You're coming with me, Emiko. You're all I have left and I'm not losing you. Whether it's willingly or not, you're staying with me from now on." Sasuke hissed.

Emiko gasped as Sasuke grabbed her pressure point. Her vision clouded and the edges blackened. She felt herself falling and the last thing she saw were Sasuke's hatred filled sharingan eyes.

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**Dun dun duuuuun!!! What's going to happen to little Emiko??? Review please!**


	66. The Meadow

**Sorry I was gone for so long! I got sick, then school started, my grandfather has cancer, and now my work decided to cut my hours from 4 to 2 1/2! I'm trying to remain positive though so thank you all for being so patient with me!**

**OMG!!! Exactly 900 reviews!? You guys are awesome! This chapter will be extra long and special just to show how amazing I think you all are!**

**Sakura02: We need to make him a Douche cape of his own so he'll stop stealing Tomas'**

**KisekiShinku: Trust me, she'll not be getting with anyone while she's only seven. However, I will be doing a mini arc at the end with her as an adult so I'm curious to see who everyone wants her to end up with. **

**Johnquelle: My work is complete then :) **

**Akuma Hana: There may start to be some soon enough though not with Emiko…**

**MarzaPanda: I hadn't thought of it that way until you said that.**

**IAmABoredGirlWithNothingToDo: Yes, please don't forget to breathe! Sorry for leaving you in suspense for so long!**

**darkaquarian96: She would've normally gone to hug him but she was being held by Gaara.**

**Kiba'sPet24: It's right here! Thanks for being patient!**

**Lunarfox's Silverdusk: I know :( I miss them too!**

**NEVERMORE DARKNESS: Yay!! Thank you so much for the compliment :)**

**Meco45: Yes, Zetsu is dead. The only remaining living members of Akatsuki are Madara and Konan (though she quit the organization after Pein died)**

**Wooden Skies: Thanks so much! You have no idea how much that compliment means to me. It's taken me forever to work on my imagery. **

**itachisasuke: I had to go onto Yahoo Answers after I read your review and it made me super excited. Of course your votes will be in the final tally. Thanks so much for being patient!**

**silver-nightstorm: I promise you, no permanent harm shall befall Emiko.**

**Thanks: Usagi323, Ray-nee-chan, LuvAnime4-Ever, angel897, TwilightEclps, WhisperInTheRain, Silent Star of Silent Night, Azura Soul Reaver, Sayuri x3, Blackrose74, lovelyanimeangel, Fawks Foxxx, elfenwindakachrno, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, CuttlefishShiz, Animuze, Sun Geisha, Toph Eujing, XxBloodyRiverxX, Haruna Uchiha, MangaBookwormDork, Pikachuwolffox4, Icealeena, In Pieces, marc, aurula0, YamiYugi100, –'Kixa'-'Kisa'-'Otaku'-, and Cheetay for your awesome reviews!**

**By the way, I love all of the "lovely" nicknames you guys came up with for Sasuke~**

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Emiko groaned and slowly opened her eyes. She felt pleasantly warm as the bright spring sun kissed her skin and the flowers tickled her nose….Emiko shot up. She was sitting in the middle of a beautiful field of every possibly imaginable flower. The sky above was clear save for a few clouds partially shielding the sun. A light breeze blew her loose hair and white sundress around her. She stood on her bare feet and sighed happily at the feel of the cool grass beneath them. "Where am I?"

"Oh hell no." A familiar and much loved voice snarled.

"Hi-chan!!!!!" Emiko screamed as she ran towards the now terrified looking Jashin worshiper. She tackled him to the ground and showered his face with kisses. "Hi-chan, I've missed you soooo much!!!"

"Get this fucking brat off of me!" Hidan snarled as he attempted to dodge Emiko's kisses.

"Remember, Hidan, if you go dead weight she'll get bored." Kakuzu called as he looked up from counting his very full wallet.

Emiko paused in her attack on Hidan and looked up. Her eyes filled with tears at all that she saw before her. "Kaku…Danna…Deidei…Papa…" She began to bawl.

"Make it stop!" Hidan whined as he sat up and held Emiko at arms length.

Sasori rolled his eyes and went over to Emiko. He wrapped his arms around her. "Shhh, no more tears, Emiko."

"Danna, you're all warm now…" Emiko said with astonishment. She slowly looked at each person more closely. "You aren't all blown to bits, Deidei! Papa, you look like the real you!"

Nagato smiled and beckoned Emiko over to him. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Curiously, Emiko complied. As she approached Nagato, she noticed the man beside him for the first time. She tilted her head to the side as her and the stranger observed each other. "Papa, he looks like the body you used all the time."

"That's because it's my body." The strange man grinned at Emiko. He held his hand out to her. "I'm Yahiko. It's nice to finally meet the infamous Emiko-chan that I've heard so much about."

"You were Mama and Papa's friend!" Emiko clapped her hands together excitedly. She hugged him before letting go and smiling sheepishly. "Sorry. I'm used to doing that to Papa's body…well…it's your body actually but I'm used to Papa controlling it so to me it's Papa's body but now Papa's in his real body and I'm not used to it and…"

"Damnit why doesn't she ever just shut up." Hidan grouched.

"Shut up." Kakuzu smacked Hidan upside his head. "You've been worried about her too."

"Emiko, come to Deidei!" Deidara held his arms open to Emiko and grinned as she ran full speed at him. He hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry about the way we parted. I didn't even get to say goodbye properly. That Uchiha brat pissed me off so much though!" He paused in his rant when he noticed the sad look that flashed across Emiko's face.

"Sasu-chan's…different now." Emiko muttered. "He's cold and scary…like Madara. It's like my Sasu-chan got eaten by this new evil Sasu-chan. I don't know how to get my Sasu-chan back." She sniffled.

"Don't you dare fucking cry!" Hidan snapped as he sat beside Emiko in the grass. He pushed her head down and self-consciously ruffled her hair. "You're making me sick with all this 'my Sasu-chan' bullshit."

"Your just jealous because Emiko's growing up and doesn't focus all her love on you." Sasori said as he too sat beside Emiko and Deidara, picking dirt from his nails.

"The fuck I am!" Hidan sputtered out, a light red splattering across his cheeks.

"Enough." Nagato said as he, Kakuzu and Yahiko joined the circle. He looked seriously at Emiko. "Emiko, I don't want to ask this of you."

"What?" Emiko asked as she situated herself comfortably in Deidara's lap.

"Emiko, Sasuke is playing right into Madara's hands. At his rate, Madara's plans to take over the world will come to pass." Nagato looked pleadingly at Emiko. "I know how much you love him, but you must stop him."

"Stop him? How?" Emiko frowned at the serious looks on all the faces surrounding her. It took her a moment to realize exactly what it was her Papa meant. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "No…"

"It must be done. For the sake of the world, Emiko." Nagato said firmly. "What is one life to save many?"

Before Emiko could answer, the meadow began to disappear as she was pulled back into consciousness. She gasped out as her eyes opened. She was laying in a pool of blood that was not her own. Shakily, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. What she saw made her heart drop. "Sasu-chan…"

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**And because I'm evil you'll have to wait until next week to find out what it is she saw. Mwahaha! Reviews make me super happy and once again, thank you all for being so patient with me! Hugs, kisses, and cookies for you all!**


	67. The Attack

**What's up, everyone!? Ugh, I'm so sick of Kishimoto's nonsense. Just end it already! I don't care how, but I need this to end.**

**Lunarfox's Silverdusk: Because cliffhangers make all of you keep reading and reviewing :)  
I-love-red-head-ninjas: No, Sasuke didn't get beat up by Emiko. I don't think she could ever hurt her Sasu-chan.**

**Toph Eujing: Because it is the magical world of Naruto and anything is possible. Actually, she was just unconscious so Deidara and all of them wanted to talk to her.**

**elfenwindakachrno: I never said it was Sasuke's blood she was laying in. **

**Usagi323: see the answer to Toph Eujing's review above :)**

**IAmABoredGirlWithNothingToDo: Yeah…it's been a while since I updated. With everything going on, it's a miracle I haven't keeled over. **

**Akuma and Tenshi Hana: No, Emiko couldn't ever hurt her Sasu-chan.**

**Haruna Uchiha: Nope, they're still dead. I'd love to see the sequel!**

**Marie Pattin: Don't worry, Emiko isn't going to kill Sasuke!**

**Sakura02: ….stop correcting me! :P**

**3DY3Namite: Aw, thank you! I've got a new job now. Ha…I liked your joke.**

**LunaBell08: Sorry if this took too long! Things have been crazy!**

**xXCronkersXx: It is nice to meet you, IAmABoredGirlWithNothingToDo's friend! No, Emiko isn't going to kill the Sasuke.**

**Flora236: aw, thank you!**

**Random Fan: I totally didn't realize that until I read your review! I can't believe I've been writing this for almost two years now!**

**itachisasuke: It's not Sasuke in the pool of blood. It's Emiko. I'm following the manga to a certain extent unless certain people die, then I'll change it. **

**Johan: He's going to reappear very shortly. Right now, he's on a super secret mission that's so secret even I don't know.**

**Thank you: Card Captor Fiona, kidinlotsoftrouble, Azura Soul Reaver, Ray-nee-chan, WhisperInTheRain, Not-even-epic-FAIL, aurla0, Nightengale'Serenade'Angel'93, TwilightEclps, darkaquarian96, Pikachuwolffox4, CuttlefishShiz, KayeStar, Cheetay, Fawks Foxxx, Wolfy Pup, akatsuki fangirl, Icealeena, silver-nightstorm, marc, and Yuki-chan114 for reviewing!**

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Slowly, Emiko stood up from the sticky red substance. In front of her, Sasuke was fighting furiously with the Raikage. Bodies of samurai were scattered everywhere. The blood she had been lying in had been from one of the samurai. "Sasu-chan, stop it!"

"Emiko, stay back."

Emiko blinked. Before she could see whom it was that had spoken to her, a shield of sand stopped the Raikage from slamming his leg into Sasuke's stomach. A smile of relief washed over her face as she turned around. "Gaa-chan!"

Gaara frowned when he noticed all the blood covering Emiko. He knelt down and wiped some of the blood from Emiko's cheek. Every time Emiko's eyes would try to wander to the side where Sasuke was, Gaara would bring her attention back to him. "You shouldn't be here. Go back to the meeting room."

"No…" Emiko shook her head slowly. "I…I've gotta stop Sasu-chan." She glanced over at where Sasuke was now glaring over at her and Gaara.

"Leave, Emiko." Gaara held her face between his hands, forcing her to focus on him. "This is not something you should have to witness."

"Why the hell did you stop my attack, Kazekage!?" The Raikage roared.

Gaara glanced over at the Raikage. "If you had continued your attack, Uchiha Sasuke's flames would've harmed you even more than you already are. Besides, Emiko doesn't need to see this."

Sasuke let out a guffaw. "You think she hasn't seen worse?"

"You think it is all right for her to see more?" Gaara asked as he continued to wipe blood from Emiko's face. He frowned at how abnormally pale she was. Her entire body was trembling and her eyes had a glazed over appearance. He smoothed her hair down, noting how sticky it was. "I wish to speak with you, Uchiha Sasuke."

Emiko faded in and out of Gaara and Sasuke's discussion. She was feeling horribly sick now. She hadn't felt this way in what seemed like forever. A spasm ran through her body and she collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

"Emiko!" Gaara knelt beside her, holding her in his arms. "Are you all right?" His eyes widened as she began coughing up gobs of blood.

Sasuke frowned but made no attempt to reach Emiko. "You speak so highly of the light and other nonsense. Yet, what good is it if someone like her that has done nothing wrong is so sick and slowly dying? I have long since closed my eyes to the light. My only goal is the darkness."

"Gaa-chan…" Emiko croaked out. This had been a much less violent attack than the others usually were. She winced as something wet and cold hit her cheek. Looking up, she realized Gaara was crying. Reaching up, she brushed the tears from his cheeks. "Please don't cry, Gaa-chan."

Gaara stood up, a determined look on his face. "You," he motioned a samurai over. "take her back to the meeting room. You'll be safe there, Emiko." He gave a half-smile to the little girl now in the samurai's arms.

"No…" she clutched at Gaara's sleeve. "I want to stay with you."

Gently, Gaara dislodged her hand from his sleeve and held it in his. "You must listen to me. You aren't safe here."

"Give her back!" Sasuke roared. "You fools can't save her! Only I can save her from that disease!"

"Go." Gaara waved the samurai away.

Emiko struggled as the samurai ran at full speed back to the meeting room. She wanted to stay and stop Sasuke. She wanted to help Gaara. She wanted….a chill rushed through her as a familiar chakra seemed to permeate through the building. "Sasu-chan, what happened to you?" The chakra was cold, not like the Sasuke she was used to.

"Is she okay!?"

Emiko hadn't even realized the samurai had brought her back to the meeting room until the Mizukage was holding her. Emiko bit the inside of her cheeks to try and keep herself from crying. "Sasu-chan is…"

The Mizukage cooed to the small girl. "Oh, it's going to be all right, dear."

"Compose yourself." Danzo scolded. "You are a Konoha ninja."

Emiko glared at him through her bangs. Before anyone realized what had happened, Emiko ran across the table towards Danzo and slapped him soundly in the face. "Shut up! It's all your fault! It's all yours and those stupid councilors faults that 'Tachi and Sasu-chan are hurt so badly! It's your fault that Naru-chan is always so sad! You made Sasu-chan evil! I hate you! I wish you'd just die!" Tears were falling from her eyes now and she couldn't seem to stop them. She began coughing violently again as blood dribbled down her chin.

"That's enough." The Mizukage quickly pulled Emiko away from Danzo. She carried Emiko back to her seat and sat with the small girl in her lap. She rubbed her back soothingly. "Shhh, you need to calm down. You're going to hurt yourself if you don't."

Suddenly, everyone in the room tensed. "He's here…"

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**Going to stop there now. Please review and let me know your thoughts!**


	68. Mysterious Figure Revealed

**I'm so sorry I've been gone for a couple of weeks. My grandfather passed away on February 28 at 2:12 in the morning. My entire family was in the hospital all that day before and until he died. I've needed these couple of weeks to recoup and get my life back in order. **

**Thank you all for your patience and not chopping my head off!**

…**.Kishimoto, stop!!**

**Sakura02: I'm actually about done with all this. I may just drop a nuke on them all and end this story.**

**itachisasuke: Yes, I've been writing short chapters lately. I'm in college and have a lot of reading to do, plus there's been a lot going on the past month with my grandfather's passing. Hopefully this chapter will be longer. As for how Sasuke will cure her…well…just keep reading to find out!**

**Thanks: NEVERMORE DARKNESS, Card Captor Fiona, elfenwindakachrno, Haruna Uchiha, LunaBell08, lovelyanimeangel, CuttlefishShiz, Akuma and Tenshi Hana, WhisperInTheRain, flora236, Usagi323, Insanity Breaking Point, Azura Soul Reaver, MarzaPanda, vivvy09, Ray-nee-chan, Pickachuwolffox4, Priestess-of-Jashin, TwilightEclps, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, Sayuri x3, Cheetay, Toph Eujing, Lunarfox's Silverdusk, Fawks Foxxx, lizifang, -'Kixa'-'Kisa'-'Otaku'-, and Chaney2250 for your reviews.**

* * *

"Emiko, stay under here." The Mizukage whispered as she gently shoved Emiko under the table.

Though Emiko couldn't see who had appeared, she knew by the feel of the chakra. "Sasu-chan…" She winced as she heard the sounds of swords crossing. Being as quiet as she could, Emiko poked her head out to see what exactly was going on. Her head popped out from under the table just as Danzo rushed by.

Danzo glanced down at her. With a shake of his head, he bolted from the meeting room.

Emiko remained crouched on the ground as she watched one of the Mizukage's bodyguards chase after Danzo. She shrank back when Sasuke landed right in front of her. Hesitantly, she reached forward and grabbed the hem of his cloak. "Sasu-chan, please stop."

Sasuke glanced down and a brief flash of relief went through his eyes when he saw Emiko cowering under the table. He reached down and grabbed Emiko. "You're coming with me. Karin, let's go." Before he could get through the door that Danzo had gone through, a white substance was shot from behind him and blocked his way.

"I'm going to have to ask you to release that child." The Mizukage wiped her mouth. " You Akatsuki have made Kirigakure and our Yondaime look like a fool." She sighed remorsefully. "It's a pity that you're such a good looking man."

Emiko went limp in Sasuke's arms and stared blankly at the Mizukage. "Mizukage-san, I don't think now is the time to ogle Sasu-chan."

The Mizukage chuckled. "I'm sorry, Emiko-chan. I forget he's your man."

"No he's not!" Emiko protested. She flinched when she felt Sasuke's grip on her tighten. "Sasu-chan, you're hurting me."

"I'm very sorry, Emiko-chan, but I'm going to have to get rid of him." The Mizukage shifted into an offensive position.

Emiko squeaked as Sasuke threw her up to the ceiling only to be caught by the Tsuchikage. She smiled sheepishly at the old man. "Sorry, Ji-chan."

The old Kage grinned at her. "No worries. Are you going to be all right, watching this? Your Uchiha is about to be killed."

Emiko could feel the blood rushing to her head as she watched Sasuke fight the Mizukage. She shook her head slowly. "Sasu-chan won't be killed that easily." She blinked as Sasuke and the Mizukage disappeared into the other room and it was sealed behind the Mizukage. She wriggled out of the Tsuchikage's grasp and spun gracefully down to land on the table. "Where'd they go?"

Karin opened her mouth to speak when suddenly, a strange white goo wrapped around all the people in the room save for Karin and Emiko.

"Don't worry¸ Emiko." Zetsu said from the ground. "This jutsu will save Uchiha Sasuke."

Emiko could feel the others chakras being absorbed away. "Stop it, 'Tsu. You're hurting everyone." She frowned when Karin held her in place from helping the Tsuchikage and the others in the room. "This isn't right."

"Who would you rather die: Them or Sasuke?" Karin hissed.

"Neither." Emiko bit out. "We shouldn't be fighting like this." She flinched as the wall was blown out and Sasuke reappeared. She opened her mouth to ask him to stop once again but the Tsuchikage leapt into action.

The Tsuchikage summoned a glowing box like jutsu and flung it at Sasuke. He landed on the ground and dusted his clothing off. "That should do it."

Emiko fell to her bottom when Karin let her go. Slowly, she crawled over to where Sasuke had been standing a moment before. "Sasu-chan…?" She couldn't feel his chakra anymore. She pushed in vain against the heavy stone box. "Sasu-chan…Sasu-chan…Sasu-chan!" Her voice rose as tears poured from her eyes. She punched the stone in vain as she continued screaming and crying Sasuke's name.

Gaara and the Raikage rushed into the room with their bodyguards. Gaara was at Emiko's side in an instant. He pulled her away from the spot and held her in his arms. "Emiko, hush now. What's wrong?"

"Sasu-chan…Sasu-chan!" She buried her face in his neck and sobbed. She glared angrily over at the Tsuchikage as he boasted to the Raikage about how he killed Sasuke.

"Now, there's no need to cry, Emiko." Madara appeared with Sasuke thrown over his shoulder. "Did you really think I would allow Uchiha Sasuke to be killed that easily? I need him for my plan."

Emiko clung even tighter to Gaara though a wave of relief washed over her at the sight of an unconscious, but alive, Sasuke. "Give him back." She whispered.

Madara glanced over at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the Kages assembled. "Kazekage, I'm going to have to ask you to hand the girl back over as well. I need her for my plans."

"And what plan would that be?" The Mizukage snarled out.

"The Moon's Eye Plan." Madara answered. His mask suddenly warped and Sasuke disappeared into it.

"Sasu-chan!" Emiko screamed and attempted to wriggle out of Gaara's grip. "Give him back!" She flinched as he repeated the same action to Karin.

"Emiko, calm down." Gaara held her more firmly and brought her back to his chest. He backed further away from where Madara was in order to keep him from Emiko.

"We may as well listen to him." The Tsuchikage halted the Raikage from attacking Madara. "What is your Moon's Eye Plan?

Madara sat down on a small ledge in the wall. "Everything will become one with me. Beneath the Uchiha compound is a stone tablet left behind by the Rikudo Sage. He had the same eyes as Pein and once saved the world from a terrible monster."

"A monster?" Gaara adjusted Emiko in his grip, wary that Madara may swoop down and take her away.

"A part of that monster was in you." Madara explained. "The monster was a fusion of all the tailed beast and possesses the strongest chakras in all the world. It was called the Ten Tailed Beast, the Jubi. The Sage sealed it within his body but he knew that when he died, the Jubi would be released back into the world. On his deathbed, he split the Jubi into the nine tailed beasts and sent the hollow body into the sky to become the moon."

Mifune frowned up at him. "What will you do with all that power?"

"I will become the Host of the Jubi and then I will be able to cast my eyes upon the moon and cast the most powerful illusion over the world." Madara answered. "With everyone under my illusion, everyone will become one. There will be no ill will or strife anymore. Everything will be united under me." He glanced over at Emiko and held his hand out. "I'll need your help, Emiko. We're family, are we not?"

Emiko sank into Gaara. "No! You're not my family! I don't want to help you!"

"What do you need Emiko for anyways?" Gaara asked.

Madara shook his finger at the Kazekage. "I cannot reveal that to her quite yet. I don't want to frighten my daughter away. Now, hand over the Hachibi, the Kyubi, and Emiko or there will be war."

The Raikage blinked slowly. "But, you already captured Bee…"

"Unfortunately, he tricked us and got away." Madara said. He ignored the Raikage's outburst and focused on Emiko whom was giggling at the furious Raikage. "Emiko, you don't want them to get hurt, do you?" He held his hand out to her. "Come with me."

Gaara held her tighter, almost possessively to him. "I will not allow you to have either Emiko or Uzumaki Naruto. The peace you speak of will be nothing more than an illusion with no hopes. We will not give our hope over to you." Gaara glanced down at Emiko's tearful eyes. "No matter what, I won't let him have you."

Emiko hugged Gaara tightly as the tears finally fell from her eyes. "Thank you, Gaa-chan. I'm sorry."

"There's no need for you to apologize, dear." The Mizukage stood beside Gaara and patted Emiko's head with a smile on her face. "I won't allow you to take this darling little girl."

"You won't get my brother!" The Raikage shouted.

Madara sighed. "Very well. Then, consider this the beginning of the fourth Ninja War and I will be taking Emiko with me."

Emiko wasn't completely sure what happened. She saw Madara leaping towards her and then, she was no longer in the arms of Gaara. She thought for a moment that Madara had a hold of her but realized that these arms were smaller. She looked up and saw that it was the cloaked person. "Mystery Person-san…"

Madara leapt back to his ledge and frowned at the person holding Emiko. "Who are you?"

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her." A feminine voice spoke softly. A tan hand pulled the cloak hood back. Long black hair flowed down the person's back and dark brown eyes glared at Madara.

"Well, well," Madara folded his arms over his chest. "If it isn't Senju Haruki. I could've sworn I killed you."

Emiko looked up. This was the person in the picture in her locket. This was the person that had risked her life to save her. Tears fell from Emiko's eyes. "Mommy…?"

* * *

**Mwahahaha! I know you all hate when I do cliffhangers but I just couldn't help it :). I promise the next chapter will come out much sooner than this one. Please review and let me know your thoughts!**


	69. Family Reunited

**Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that you bit the head off a chocolate bunny :)**

**-'Kixa'-'Kisa'-'Otaku'-: It explains how she got away in the Turn Back the Clock little saga thingy :)**

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**Sakura02: HeeHee, Kakashi's gonna be all happy now! He's got his daughter and his girlfriend back now.**

**Akatsuki-Hidan: Thanks so much. It's been pretty rough these past few weeks but I'm slowly working through my grief. Getting back to writing has definitely helped.**

**IAmABoredGirlWithNothingToDo: Yeah, I'm really hoping he'll end it soon. It's kind of sad now because I really don't care about a lot of the characters anymore because it's just been dragging on for so long. **

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**Thank you all so much for your well wishes about my grandfather. It's been rough but I'm getting through it.**

* * *

"So, you've been alive all this time." Madara muttered. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and stood up. "Well, I'll deal with all of you later. The next time we meet will be on the battleground. Farewell, Senju Haruki."

Haruki continued to hold Emiko long after Madara had disappeared. After a few moments of stunned silence, she smiled down at Emiko. "You know who I am?"

Emiko nodded mutely. There was a tight knot in her throat as she stared up in awe at the woman in front of her. She had seen photographs of her and heard the way Itachi, Kakashi, and the others of Konoha had spoken so lovingly of this person. She finally allowed the tears to fall. "Mommy!"

"Well, well," The Tsuchikage chuckled. "here I had thought you had died. It's nice to see you aren't so weak, Haruki."

Haruki smiled and cooed to Emiko as she held her daughter tightly to her. "You flatter me, Tsuchikage-sama." Her eyes fell on Gaara and she squealed. "Is that you, Gaara-chan!? You've grown up so much since the last time I was in Suna. You were just a few years younger than Emiko at that time."

Gaara blinked slowly. He could certainly see where Emiko's bubbly personality had come from. He simply inclined his head to her. "It's an honor to meet you."

"This is all sweet and fine but what are we going to do about Madara!?" The Raikage snapped.

"We need to form a ninja alliance." Gaara stated plainly. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Emiko was practically sobbing now and clinging to Haruki.

Raikage felt his temper growing thin as Emiko's wails rang through his ears. "Would you shut up!?"

"You shut up!" Emiko howled. "My mommy just showed up! I'm allowed to cry!" She looked up sheepishly at Haruki. "Aren't I?" She squeaked as Haruki squeezed her tightly and nuzzled her cheek.

"Of course you are!" Haruki cooed.

The Raikage rolled his eyes. "It seems we have no choice but to form this stupid alliance. Madara cannot be allowed to do as he pleases."

"What of Danzo?" The Tsuchikage asked. "He has fled."

"I will inform a ninja we can trust." Gaara answered.

The Tsuchikage raised an eyebrow. "And who would that be?"

"Hatake Kakashi." Gaara replied.

"Mommy, your squishing me." Emiko whined. She looked up and saw how her mother's cheeks were flushed pink and the happy glint in her eye. "Are you okay, Mommy?"

Haruki smiled as she finally put Emiko down on the ground. She knelt in front of her daughter and squeezed her shoulders. "Can you forgive me for abandoning you?"

Emiko wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled back at her mother. "Yeah. I know you did it to save me. Mama and Papa took really good care of me and so did 'Tachi and the others. Daddy's been a really good daddy. Are you gonna stay now, Mommy? You aren't going to leave me and Daddy again, right?"

"No, baby. I'm here to stay. Also," she leaned towards Emiko to whisper in her ear. "Itachi's going to come see you soon." She smiled as she once again picked Emiko up and nodded towards the Kages. "Well, if you will all excuse me. I'll inform Kakashi you're on your way." She smiled at the group before disappearing.

* * *

As Emiko ran alongside her mother towards where they sensed Kakashi's chakra, she stared at her. "Why didn't you come back? Why didn't you let Daddy know you were okay?"

Haruki smiled sadly at her daughter. "I couldn't…no…it was more…I didn't want to face him. I was so afraid he'd be mad at me for deceiving him. I've been observing Madara these past few years and once I realized what his plan was, I knew I couldn't hide any longer. We have to stop him, Emiko. It is our duty. I won't let him take you away."

"Mommy, what does Madara want with me?" Emiko asked. Her feet barely touched the snow as she had to double time to keep up with her mother's faster running.

Haruki bit her lip and her eyes hardened. "I'm not sure. He was growing suspicious of being watched before I could find out. Itachi could never even get it out of him."

"Where's 'Tachi!? When's he coming back!?" Emiko asked, missing her Uchiha terribly.

"Soon. First, I want to explain the circumstances to Kakashi so that they don't try and kill Itachi on sight." Haruki smiled. They were drawing closer to Kakashi, she could feel it. She pulled her hood up. "Let's surprise your father." A hint of mischief glinted in Haruki's eyes as she held her finger to her lips.

An identical glint appeared in Emiko's and she giggled. "Okay. I'll go on ahead then." Emiko dashed the last mile on her own, aware that her mother was always only a few feet behind her. When she reached Kakashi, Naruto, Yamato, and Sai, she ran forward. "Daddy! Daddy!"

Kakashi's visible eye lit up as he knelt down and opened his arms to Emiko. He held her tightly and kissed the top of her head through his mask. "Emiko, where were you!? You know better than to run off like that!" He scolded.

Emiko grinned sheepishly up at him. "I'm sorry. I went to the Kage meeting, Daddy! Danzo is a bad, bad man! He ran off and then Sasu-chan showed up and then Madara showed up and then guess who else showed up!"

Naruto was the first to notice the cloaked figure approaching them. He pulled a kunai out as Kakashi stood up and placed himself in between Emiko and the stranger. "Who are you!?" Naruto snarled out.

"Naruto, is that anyway to treat one of your favorite teachers?" Haruki giggled as she pulled her hood down.

Kakashi stood there in shell shock for a few moments. "H-Haruki!?"

"Yeah!" Emiko grinned as she pulled on Kakashi's hand. "Mommy isn't dead, Daddy! She tricked Madara and got away!" She blinked as she watched Kakashi rush forward and tackle Haruki to the ground. "Naru-chan, Daddy's eating Mommy!"

Naruto quickly picked Emiko up and covered her eyes. "Kakashi-sensei, your daughter is standing right here!" He yelped out as his own cheeks turned bright red.

Yamato averted his eyes while Sai simply watched in mild interest.

"Kakashi, get off of me." Haruki attempted to sound stern but couldn't help the grin on her face as Kakashi helped her up. She wrapped her arms around him as he hugged her tightly.

"Why didn't you let me protect you?" Kakashi murmured into her hair.

Haruki sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I left you. I promise I won't again."

"Damn right you won't." Kakashi growled out.

"Sensei, Emiko is still here!" Naruto squeaked out as Kakashi began kissing Haruki.

Emiko giggled. "Daddy must've really missed Mommy." She wriggled out of Naruto's grip and went over to her parents. She wedged herself between the two and held their hands.

Kakashi smiled and ruffled his daughter's hair. "So, where have you been these past seven years?"

Haruki's smile fell away. "I've got a lot to tell you and we don't have much time, Kakashi. We have to stop Madara."

* * *

**Yay! The family is reunited! What will happen now? Will they be able to stop Madara? What about Sasuke? Review to find out!**


	70. Finding Sasuke

**Hello again, everyone! The rain has finally let up here for now. I saw Kick Ass yesterday and it was amazing. I order you all to go see it immediately!**

**IAmABoredGirlWithNothingToDo: Ha, well, I won't reveal the answers immediately. But, if you don't review, I won't feel inspired to continue the story and then you shall never find out the answers. :D **

**silver-nightstorm: I'm sorry about your loss. I know how rough that is. No worries about not reviewing in a while. As for cliffhangers….their so much fun I just can't help it!**

**Sakura02: Why is it that when I read your review, I heard the Pinky and the Brain song in my head?**

**Crystal Kira: Lol, it's all good on the grammar nazi thing. I usually try and be good about catching stuff like that. I know the feeling though. I read some people's stuff and I feel like taking a red pen to it…**

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**Anea: To make up for my story giving you a headache, here's a cookie. –hands cookie-**

**itachisasuke: I would never laugh at someone's idea! As for the whole Itachi thing, I've figured out what I'm gonna do but I don't wanna say it so it won't spoil the story.**

**Thank you: Azura Soul Reaver, Insanity Breaking Point, elfenwindakachrno, Card Captor Fiona, CuttlefishShiz, The Kunoichi, Pikachuwolffox4, Cheetay, Akuma and Tenshi Hana, ChojisGirl, AirMage99, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, MarzaPanda, Ray-nee-chan, flora236, vivvy09, kidinlotsoftrouble, 030artastic, Icealeena, Usagi323, LunaBell08, XeniaKunoichi, YamiYugi100, Gotta Luv The Name, lily1996, and Haruna Uchiha for reviewing!**

* * *

"So, Madara wants to use Sasuke and Emiko for something and Itachi isn't really dead and he's on our side?" Naruto frowned as he mulled all the new information over. He quickly shook his head. "We've got another problem too! Sakura-chan and the others came here and Sai just said that they're planning to get rid of Sasuke! Sakura is going to try to kill Sasuke on her own…"

"What!?" Emiko began panicking. She was about to run off to find Sasuke but felt two strong grips on her arms. "Let go, Mommy, Daddy! I've gotta save Sasu-chan! He's still in there somewhere in that scary dark abyss!"

Haruki knelt down to whisper to her daughter. "Emiko, Naruto is very upset right now. Go take care of him."

Emiko looked over and saw that Naruto's face was indeed sad. She went over and wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled her head into his side. "It's okay, Naru-chan. We'll save Sasuke. We won't let him disappear."

Naruto looked down at Emiko and hugged her back. He knelt down and rested his head on top of hers. "Thank you, Emiko." He stood up as Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro appeared.

While Gaara and the others spoke to the Konoha ninjas, Emiko was slowly scooting away from them. Though it was very faint, she could feel Madara's chakra and if she found Madara, she'd find Sasuke. Even though her and Sakura rarely got along, Emiko didn't want Sakura to have to forever be burdened with Sasuke's death. She would try to save Sasuke and bring him back from the darkness.

"Emiko, what are you doing alone?" Itachi leapt from a tree and landed in front of Emiko.

"'Tachi!" Emiko ran headlong into the Uchiha and buried her face in his stomach. "I'm gonna go save Sasu-chan. I won't let Madara take him away."

Itachi sighed and ran his fingers through Emiko's tangled hair. "Emiko, I don't think there's anyway to save Sasuke. He's completely surrendered himself to the darkness. Even if he saw me now, I don't think it would change anything. I don't want to see you hurt."

Emiko shook her head. "It's my responsibility as Sasu-chan's ex-fiancée to save him. And because I…" Emiko bit her lip.

"Does your mother know where you are?" Itachi sighed again as Emiko looked off to the side. "Be careful."

"You're not going to tell on me, are you?" She asked with wide eyes.

Itachi was silent for a moment. "I'll give you a head start before I go." He blinked as Emiko tugged him down and kissed his cheek.

She grinned as she ran off. "Thank you, 'Tachi!"

Itachi rubbed his cheek self-consciously. "Damn Senju women…" He muttered.

* * *

"Um…Kakashi-sensei, where's Emiko?" Naruto asked as Gaara and his siblings walked away.

Kakashi looked around frantically. "Not again!"

Haruki panicked as well. "What do you mean, not again!? How many times have you lost our baby!?"

"She went to find Sasuke." Itachi said as he appeared. He inclined his head to Kakashi. He blinked when Haruki rushed over and began pounding on his chest.

"You didn't stop her!? What if Madara gets her!? What if he hurts my baby!?" Haruki screamed. She blinked away her tears as Itachi grabbed her wrist.

"Haruki, what exactly does Madara need Emiko for?" Kakashi asked as he came over and pulled Haruki away from Itachi.

Haruki wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm not sure. I couldn't find everything out before he figured out someone was watching him."

Kakashi hugged her. "It's all right, we'll find her. We've got the other Uchiha sensor with us." He motioned over to Naruto. "She'll be okay." He turned his attention back to Itachi. "I trust you'll be coming with us?"

"Of course." Itachi answered.

Naruto shuddered when he swore he saw the heated glares Kakashi and Itachi were sending each other. "I wonder what's up with those two?"

Yamato scratched the back of his head nervously. "I think they see each other as rivals."

Sai nodded slowly. "This should be fun to watch."

* * *

Emiko paused beside a tree to catch her breath. She wasn't sure how far away she was from the others but she knew she'd be in trouble when her father and mother caught up to her. She looked around when she heard the sounds of fighting up ahead. She was off again, knowing she was drawing closer to Madara. As she broke through the trees, she found she was standing behind Danzo. She could see Madara standing a few feet from Danzo and then… "Sasu-chan!"

Sasuke flinched as the sunlight hurt his eyes. He looked up and saw Emiko standing a little bit behind Danzo. "Emiko, you came back to me."

Danzo looked over his shoulder and frowned. "Get out of here, child. I'm going to kill him and Madara."

"Leave Sasu-chan alone!" Emiko stomped her foot. She took a hesitant step back as Danzo approached her.

Danzo grabbed her arm and shook her. "You foolish girl. Can't you see he is no longer the Uchiha you knew?"

"Whose fault is that!?" Emiko yelled in Danzo's face. "You made 'Tachi kill his own family! It's your fault and stupid Madara's and Orochimaru's!"

"Let her go." Sasuke hissed, pure hatred radiating from him as he activated his sharingan.

Emiko shuddered and she wished she was back with Gaara whom had been so loving and kind to her or Naruto whom always held her and played with her. She gulped and looked over at Sasuke. "Sasu-chan, you've gotta stop. Konoha is gonna kill you if you don't. Please, come home. 'Tachi's not dead. He's waiting for you too."

Sasuke completely ignored her. "Give her to me, Danzo. She's mine."

Danzo glanced down at Emiko before roughly shoving her out of the way. "Don't interfere. I won't be responsible for you dying."

Emiko was about to protest when Danzo unwrapped the bandages around his arms. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw multiple sharingan eyes implanted into his arm. She felt tears of anger welling up in her eyes. "What'd you do to all those Uchiha!?"

"Idiot, you need to get out of the way." Karin hissed as she dragged Emiko to a safe vantage point. She frowned when she saw Emiko was crying. "Would you stop it already?"

Emiko bit her lip and frowned. "Where are Suigetsu and Juugo?"

Karin couldn't meet Emiko's eyes. "I don't know. We didn't look for them." She winced when Emiko kicked her. "What the hell!?"

"How could you not look for Suigetsu and Juugo!? They're your friends!" Emiko huffed as she sat on the ground.

"Sasuke didn't want to look for them." Karin answered. "He's….different now. He's not your Sasuke anymore."

Emiko watched as Sasuke crouched down in an attack position. "He's not my Sasu-chan right now but, my Sasu-chan is in there somewhere. Even if it kills me, I'm going to find him…"

* * *

**And we have to stop there because I have a math test to study for. Review please!**


	71. Growing Hatred

**Hello again, everyone! Terribly sorry for my long absence. The last couple of weeks I've been finishing up classes, then I had the oh so exciting finals of doom. Now, it's summer vacation! I hope you can all forgive me for my tardiness!**

**Sakura02: Ah, I miss the days when Tobi was a special boy. Now he's evil and creepy.**

**Card Captor Fiona: I'm not sure how long this story is going to be. We've still got a ways to go though!**

**Gotta Luv The Name: I'm really sorry about your sister. I will keep her and your family in my thoughts.**

**silver-nightstorm: Ha, it's okay. I get mad at him too when I'm writing and then I remember I'm the one that made him do it :P**

**XeniaKunoichi: Haruki will be appearing much more frequently now. As for the cliffhangers, no promises.**

**Haruna Uchiha: You'll just have to wait and see**

**itachisasuke: Itachi told Emiko he would give her a head start before he went and told Kakashi and the others where she was going. As for what Emiko meant, that will be revealed later. The same goes for why Itachi and Kakashi see each other as rivals and what is in the scroll.**

**cutetears118: Wow, thank you so much for reviewing! You are an awesome person and I hope you will continue to review and enjoy the story.**

**Hunnychan123: Yes, I actually have 9 other stories I'm currently working on. And Emiko won't really grow any more until we get to the epilogue. **

**Thank you: Azura Soul Reaver, Cheetay, I-love-red-head-ninjas, Insanity Breaking Point, Pikachuwolffox4, Priestess-of-Jashin, Usagi323, 10 tailed demon cat dei lover, lily1996, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, Lvmj, CuttlefishShiz, kishi24kisses, AnimeLover418, ToshiroHitsugayagirlfriend, Psyconinja7, Melbookgrl, and mai for reviewing. You guys are awesome.**

* * *

Emiko crouched beside Karin behind a boulder and watched as Danzo and Sasuke stared each other down. Emiko glowered at Danzo the whole time, realizing this was the man that had, along with the council of elders, ordered Itachi to kill his family and caused this whole mess in the first place. There was a deep anger and hatred building inside her but it wasn't just towards Danzo; it was towards Madara and all the older generation as well. It terrified her because she had never felt so angry before. She pushed her hatred deep into her heart and ignored it as Danzo charged at Sasuke.

"Karin, what is that?" Emiko asked as a black chakra blocked Danzo's attack and formed a hand to grab said man.

"That's Susanoo." Karin shuddered out. "Maybe we should get further away."

Emiko shook her head and kept her feet firmly planted in the ground. "I have to talk to Sasuke."

Karin glanced warily over at Sasuke. "I don't think he's going to listen to you, Emiko."

As Emiko watched Danzo and Sasuke's battle grow more heated, she couldn't find words to argue Karin's point.

* * *

"What are we going to do, Kakashi-senpai?" Yamato asked. "We need to tell everyone in Konoha what happened at the Summit but there's the issue with Sakura, not to mention Emiko's run off too."

Haruki's head was resting on Kakashi's shoulder and her arms were wrapped around his. She glanced at Itachi whom was standing beside her and gave a small smile. "I'm sure you all already know where I'm going."

Kakashi sighed as he looked at Haruki and then at Naruto's sullen face. "All right. Yamato and Naruto, you two return to Konoha and tell them what has happened. Myself, Haruki, Sai, and Itachi will go after Emiko and Sakura. They're both heading to the same place, that much is certain."

"Naruto!" Haruki screamed as Naruto fell to the ground hyperventilating. She knelt in the snow and cradled his head in her lap. "This is too much…knowing that all of his friends are planning to kill Sasuke and everything that's happened…it's too much…" Haruki ran her fingers through Naruto's hair and cooed softly to him, hoping to soothe him. "I won't forgive Madara or the elders for what they've done to these children."

Itachi watched Kakashi kneeling beside Haruki for a moment before his eyes flickered off to the distance. He could feel Sasuke's chakra and a small, terrified one close beside it. "Emiko…"

* * *

"I asked you once already; were you and the elders the one who ordered Itachi to kill my family!" Sasuke roared as he held Danzo up in the air.

Emiko flinched at Sasuke's voice and scooted even closer to Karin. "Sasu-chan…"

"Quiet." Sasuke snapped and glared over at Emiko with his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Answer me!" He hissed at Danzo.

Danzo coughed up blood. "I thought he was a better man than that." Danzo's eyes narrowed in clear disgust. "That bastard told you everything before he died, huh."

"Shut up!" Emiko screamed and leapt out from her hiding place. She was terrified of Sasuke right now but her anger at Danzo speaking poorly of Itachi far outweighed her fear. "Don't you dare talk about 'Tachi like that! 'Tachi loved Sasu-chan more than anything else and all he did was try and protect him and you stupid cowards! Don't you dare talk badly about my 'Tachi!" The hatred was bubbling up in her heart again as tears of frustration, anger, and sorrow spilled from her eyes. "I'll never forgive anyone that talks badly about 'Tachi!"

Sasuke was deathly still for a moment. Then, he brought his hand to rest on Emiko's shoulder. "Move out of the way, Emiko. I'm going to deal with him." He spoke with a deadly quietness.

"I'll take her." Madara swooped down and scooped Emiko up before returning to his spot high above the battle ground. He put Emiko down beside him and chuckled when she scooted as far away from him as possible. "Your hatred is growing. That's good. Let it continue to grow and fester."

Emiko bit her lip to keep more tears from coming out. "I won't help you! I won't do whatever it is you want me to do!"

Madara grabbed Emiko's arm and dragged her over so she was sitting beside him. "Don't worry. You need not do anything right now. Just nurture your hatred and watch. You want Danzo dead just as much as Sasuke, don't you?"

Emiko took in deep, shuddering breaths as she watched Danzo somehow appear beside Sasuke instead of in the hands of whatever monster Susanoo had created. "I do but…that's not how 'Tachi taught me to live." The hatred was slowly dissipating as she thought about not just Itachi, but her Akatsuki family, Naruto and the other Konoha ninjas, Gaara, and her mother and father. "'Tachi told me I shouldn't let hate rule my life. He said, I should always smile because he doesn't like it when I'm sad. So, even if I hate Danzo and the Konoha elders and Madara," her eyes cut over to Madara as she smiled brightly. "I won't let my hatred control me because that would make 'Tachi sad."

Madara stared at her for a moment. "You may not let your hatred control you but it's still there, deep in your heart. Someday, it will spin out of your control and you will be consumed by it, just like Sasuke."

As Emiko continued to watch the fight, she wished her mother was there with her. She knew Haruki would know what to say to Sasuke to make him stop. Knowing Madara wouldn't release her anytime soon, Emiko pulled her knees to her chest and watched the fight.

* * *

**It's good to be back, everyone! Once again, thank you all for being so patient and know that updates will be back on schedule since it's now summer!**


	72. Izanagi

**Had a rather interesting weekend. Almost punched my little sister's boyfriend in the face. I don't do well with disrespectful people.**

**Sakura02: I know! I wanted to snuggle Naruto at this part in the manga.**

**I-love-red-head-ninjas: I think Itachi would be an amazing life coach. He'd at least have a lot of female clients…**

**itachisasuke: The chapters should start being longer now. As for whether Madara knows about Itachi…**

**kunoichi1012: Hmm…my favorite baby story…well, I will say that this one has a very special place in my heart because it was my very first one. I love writing all of my stories and seeing all the different people that like my stories. There are a few I think I have more fun writing than others.**

**Thanks: Azura Soul Reaver, lightwolfheart, XeniaKunoichi, ray-nee-chan, Cheetay, Melbookgrl, 3DY3Namite, Priestess-of-Jashin, weesnaa, Icealeena, Insanity Breaking Point, Pikachuwolffox4, Akuma-of-Hell, silver-nightstorm, Usagi323, Demi, kidd, and waffle girl tesh for reviewing!**

* * *

Emiko flinched as the battle between Sasuke and Danzo continued on. She could feel Sasuke growing exhausted from his continued use of Amaterasu and Susanoo. "Sasu-chan, that's enough." She whispered out though she knew her words wouldn't reach him.

"Would you like to help him, Emiko?" Madara asked. "I'll let you go down there if you like."

"Shut up." Emiko said softly. She watched the fight intensely. Danzo was using a strange jutsu that Emiko couldn't quite pinpoint. She frowned when she noticed one of the eyes on Danzo's arms had closed. "Why won't you leave Sasu-chan alone?"

"Because I need him." Madara answered, stroking Emiko's hair. "Just like I need you."

Danzo glanced up at Emiko whom was staring at him before looking at Sasuke and shaking his head. "Uchiha Sasuke, you may have the same eyes as your brother but you are nothing like him. You, unlike your brother, throw your rage and hatred at anything and everything in your path. You would toss away those important to you if it suited your needs. You'd even hurt that child that wants nothing more than to love you and please you if it would further your own selfish needs. You have wasted your brother's sacrifice."

"Shut up!" Sasuke snarled as he lunged forward to attack Danzo. He drew his sword but was too slow. He gagged as Danzo grabbed his throat.

"Sasuke!" Emiko screamed. She yanked herself away from Madara and slid down the small hill. "Chimamire Kyoufuu!" She rushed to Sasuke's side as Danzo leapt back, her attack having cut off the arm choking Sasuke; or so it appeared. "Karin, did you see that?" She asked as she saw two more eyes on the arm she had appeared to have cut off disappeared.

"Yeah." Karin's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Sasu-chan," Emiko turned her attention to Sasuke whom was coughing and rubbing his neck. "are you okay?"

For a moment, Sasuke's eyes softened at the clearly worried look in Emiko's eyes. "You shouldn't be here."

Emiko reached up and wiped the blood that dripped from Sasuke's eyes. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. Not Danzo, not Madara…not even yourself…"

Sasuke cracked a smile for a brief moment before turning his attention back to Danzo. "Emiko, you should stand back."

Emiko opened her mouth to protest when her eyes widened at whom she saw behind Danzo. "What are you doing here, 'Tachi!"

"Get over here." Karin hissed as she dragged Emiko away. "It's an illusion, Idiot."

Emiko squinted but she couldn't see through the illusion. She was about to continue struggling against Karin's grip when black flames sprung up on Danzo. She decided it was in her best interest to actually listen to Karin and hide. Using Karin as a shield Emiko continued to watch the fight as Sasuke charged at Danzo with his sword drawn. "Is Sasu-chan really going to kill him?"

"Of course!" Karin shouted excitedly. Her eyes widened as Sasuke suddenly froze. "Sasuke, what are you doing! Hurry up and kill him!"

"He can't…" Emiko's eyes widened as she saw the strange markings appear on Sasuke. "That man did something to Sasu-chan."

"It's a binding jutsu." Madara called down to Emiko from his perch.

"I never thought I'd say this…" Karin sighed out. "Emiko, I need your help. Follow my lead."

Emiko raised an eyebrow as Karin charged towards Danzo. Normally, she would've ignored Karin's order but she knew it was to help Sasuke. Emiko ran forward and barely ducked in time to avoid being hit by a flying Karin. Undeterred, she drew a kunai and charged at Danzo.

"Stay out of this." Danzo grabbed Emiko by her collar and flung her away.

Emiko steeled herself for her inevitable landing against rock. She blinked when she felt arms catch her. When she looked up she growled. "Put me down."

Madara sighed as he put her down. "You used to love me so much."

"That was before I knew you were an evil bastard." Emiko clipped out.

Danzo sighed as he looked at Madara and then back to Sasuke. "Why would Itachi let trash like you live?"

"Don't you dare call Sasu-chan trash!" Emiko screamed as she attempted to go back after Danzo. She frowned as Madara held her back. "It's people like you that are trash! Why'd you make 'Tachi kill his family! If it was such an important mission, why didn't you or the council members do it! You're all just a bunch of cowards that hid behind 'Tachi! You're trash, not Sasu-chan!"

Sasuke suddenly screamed as he broke from the binding jutsu and slashed at Danzo with his sword. His hatred was growing with each passing moment that Danzo lived.

"Do you feel that, Emiko?" Madara whispered to the small girl that had suddenly gone slack in his arms. "Sasuke's hatred is growing and making him even more powerful. You can be like that too. You can be just as powerful as Sasuke if you would just let your hatred control you."

Emiko shuddered. "That's not Sasu-chan." She whispered. The chakra she felt emanating from Sasuke was dark and cold and reminded her of Orochimaru. "That's not, Sasu-chan!" She blinked as Susanoo shot an arrow at Danzo. "Did he just grow a tree from his arm?"

"Damn you, Orochimaru…" Madara hissed out. "You've been keeping in contact with Danzo, haven't you?"

Emiko tilted her head up. "What are you talking about?"

Madara knelt beside Emiko and patted her head. "You are of the Senju clan, Emiko. Your ancestor was the Shodai of Konoha and was able to manipulate the wood element. None since him have been able to do it, save for that Yamato captain and now…it seems Danzo implanted the Shodai's cells into himself." He glanced at Emiko where he noticed the scroll sticking out of her kunai pouch.

"Why does he have all those Uchiha eyes?" Emiko asked. "Why did he implant Shodai's cells into himself?"

Madara turned his attention back to the battle between Danzo and Sasuke. "He wishes to control the Kyubi as well. I believe he may be attempting the forbidden technique, Izanagi."

Emiko shuddered at the name. "Sasu-chan…"

* * *

**And since I should have been asleep about two hours ago, we're stopping there. Please review and let me know your thoughts!**


	73. Danzo's Death

**Have any of you ever seen Repo! The Genetic Opera? A lot of the songs make me think of Emiko for some strange reason...**

**Uchihakazesis235: Izanagi will be explained at the beginning of this chapter I'm following the storyline in the manga but it is slightly different due to Emiko being there. **

**IAmABoredGirlWithNothingToDo: Lol, I've done that before with other manga…**

**Sakura02: Nap Time! **

'**Nightengale'Serenade'93: For the most part everything that happens in here is the same. As far as the manga has shown, however, Itachi is really dead so Itachi being alive in here is different from the manga.**

**XeniaKunoichi: Mwahaha, you'll find out in this chapter whether it will be Karin or Emiko that Danzo takes hostage :)**

**Insanity Breaking Point: Thank you. I'm not going to lie, there have been a few times where I've wanted to stop but I know how much I hate when writers stop in the middle of a story so I keep going. Plus, I love my little Emiko and want her to have a happy ending. **

**itachisasuke: You'll just have to wait and see what the scroll says :) See XeniaKunoichi's review response for the matter involving the hostage situation**

**Thank you: lightwolfheart, Azura Soul Reaver, Usagi323, Priestess-of-Jashin, gaaraofthefunk13, Snowy Cherry-san, Cheetay, Pikachuwolffox4, The Kunoichi, CuttlefishShiz, Mellbookgrl, akemi-t, YamiYugi100, team vampress, and kunoichi1012 for your reviews!**

* * *

"Madara-Bastard, what does Izanagi do exactly?" Emiko asked. Her knees were pulled to her chest as the battle between Danzo and Sasuke continued. Every time an attack landed on Sasuke, Emiko flinched and worried it would be the last.

"Izanagi is an Uchiha technique that can for a brief moment any injury a dream or an illusion." He motioned to where Danzo had just been stabbed by Sasuke's attack. For a brief moment, Danzo became transparent and moved away from the arrow that had impaled him. "The cost of this jutsu is that the eye that uses Izanagi will never open again."

Emiko squinted and saw one of Danzo's eyes on his arms close. "The two of you…are both terrible men."

"Believe what you will, Emiko." Madara answered. "You should understand just as much as Sasuke the pain of losing someone you love."

Before Emiko could respond, Danzo summoned a large elephant. Emiko squeaked as the elephant began sucking in the air and with it, debris. Emiko scrambled to hold onto something, but the air was too strong. She screamed as she was ripped from the wall and dragged through the air towards the elephant's gaping mouth.

"Emiko!" Sasuke grabbed the flailing child's hand and pulled her close to his side. "Can't you stay out of trouble for more than five minutes?"

Emiko said nothing and simply hugged Sasuke tightly. For a brief moment, her Sasuke had returned and saved her. The Sasuke she loved was in there still, she just needed to keep digging to find him.

Sasuke used his fireball jutsu and shot the fireball into the elephant's open mouth. At the same moment, he used Susanoo to stop Danzo's incoming attack by having it punch Danzo into a wall. He collapsed to the ground a moment later, panting.

"Sasu-chan!" Emiko knelt beside him and tentatively put her hands on his arm. "Sasu-chan, you've gotta stop. You're all hurt and bleeding…"

"I'm fine." Sasuke grit out. He saw Karin rushing towards him and flung Emiko towards Karin. "Watch her!"

Karin barely managed to catch Emiko. She scowled down at her before turning her attention back to Sasuke. "I figured out his jutsu, Sasuke!"

Sasuke glanced up as Danzo pulled himself from the wall. "So, the jutsu will end once all of the eyes close."

Danzo frowned. "How do you know about Izanagi?"

As Sasuke once again lunged at Danzo, Karin pulled Emiko behind a large wall of debris. "That's our cue to get out of the way. That idiot, what is Sasuke thinking?"

"He's not an idiot!" Emiko stepped on Karin's foot and glared at her. "If Sasuke doesn't attack Danzo with everything he's got, Danzo will just stop the jutsu. He's got to force Danzo to use up his eyes. The winner will be whoever outlasts the other…"

Karin sighed and patted Emiko on the head. "You're a smart kid."

Emiko was about to grin up at Karin when she saw both Danzo and Sasuke stab each other. "Sasu-chan!" She wriggled away from Karin's grip as Danzo collapsed to the ground. "Are you okay, Sasu-chan?"

Sasuke simply glared down at Danzo. "You should have never fought an Uchiha in a battle of eyes…" He groaned and collapsed to the ground.

Emiko glared briefly over at Danzo before looking away. She frowned as Karin rushed over and allowed Sasuke to bite her. "That's still gross."

Karin smirked at Emiko. "You're just jealous because Sasuke bit me."

"What's so great about people biting you?" Emiko huffed out. "I don't get it at all. Doesn't it hurt?"

Sasuke actually chuckled and placed a hand on Emiko's cheek. He stroked her cheek and nearly smiled as Emiko leaned into his hand. "It's nothing for you to worry about right now, Emiko. You'll understand…"

"If you say when I'm older, I'll bite you right now." Emiko bit out. She flinched as Danzo suddenly let out an ear piercing scream. Her eyes widened as he suddenly ripped himself away from the arm that had been using the Hashirama's powers.

Sasuke immediately pushed Emiko behind him. "Stay." He charged straight towards Danzo with a Chidori.

"He doesn't know when to give up." Karin groaned out.

Emiko's eyes widened as the bandages around Danzo's right eye fell away to reveal a sharingan. "Karin…what's he doing?" She blinked and suddenly Danzo was no longer in front of Sasuke but beside her and grabbing Karin away. "Karin!" She reached out to try and grab Karin but Danzo kicked her off to the side.

Sasuke stared at Danzo for a moment and then at Karin. He looked over at where Emiko was pulling herself up. "Are you all right, Emiko?"

"Yes…" Emiko winced as she brushed herself off. She was about to charge at Danzo when Sasuke held a hand up to stop her. "Sasu-chan?"

Sasuke shook his head at Danzo. "I can't believe you'd take a hostage. What happened to all your talk of self-sacrifice?"

"Shut up." Danzo snarled out. "I will do whatever it takes to live. I am the only one who can save the ninja world. I will sacrifice this girl in order to obtain my goals."

"You creep!" Emiko shouted. "You talk big but you're just a coward! All you've ever done is sacrifice others in the name of saving the ninja world! You're the worst!"

"Karin," Sasuke said softly. "don't move."

Emiko looked over at Sasuke and a chill went through her. A cold smirk played across his face. The next few seconds happened so suddenly that it took Emiko a moment to realize what had happened.

Sasuke had used Chidori like a sword and pierced Danzo's heart through Karin. The whole time, the smirk never left his face. "That's one down, Itachi…"

"Sasu-chan, what are you doing!" Emiko screamed. She rushed over to Sasuke and began pounding on his side. "Why'd you hurt Karin! She's your friend! Sasu-chan, stop it!"

Sasuke glared down at Emiko. He raised his free hand and slapped Emiko so hard that she flew back into the rubble. "Shut up! You should understand, Emiko! You loved Itachi too, didn't you! Don't you want the people that hurt him to suffer! Sacrifices have to be made in order to avenge him!"

Emiko whimpered as she pulled herself out of the rubble. She tenderly touched the cheek that Sasuke had struck and gasped when she pulled her hand away to find blood. Her eyes watered and she wasn't sure if it was from the pain of Sasuke's slap or the fact that Sasuke had **slapped **her. As the tears rolled down her cheek, she glared at Sasuke. "Do you think this would make 'Tachi happy to see you like this! 'Tachi loved you more than anyone in the world! You're hurting him too by being like this! You…" Emiko choked out a sob as the words struggled to come out. "You aren't the Sasu-chan that 'Tachi and I love!"

Sasuke stared at her for a moment, his eyes cold and hard. He was beside Emiko in a flash, kneeling beside her. He could see Karin collapse out of the corner of his eye but he ignored her. He reached out to touch the cheek he had slapped and frowned as Emiko flinched away from him. He could already see the mark turning purple and bruising. He stroked Emiko's cheek and sighed. "We'll talk once I finish dealing with him."

"Sasu-chan, don't…" Emiko went to follow Sasuke but flinched back as Sasuke turned back around with his hand raised.

"Do as I say, Emiko." Sasuke said coldly. "I don't like hurting you but if you continue this foolish behavior, I will."

Emiko's whole body was trembling as Sasuke slowly walked after Danzo. Her legs could no longer support her and she collapsed to the ground. Her vision faded in and out before she finally fainted.

* * *

"Oi, what the hell happened to you!"

Emiko slowly opened her eyes and found herself back in the meadow where she had spoken to her Papa and the other Akatsuki. She looked up and her eyes connected with Hidan's angry, yet slightly concerned, eyes. Immediately, her eyes welled up with tears and she began to cry.

Sasori was the first to snap out of the shock and pick Emiko up. He cradled her in his arms and stroked her bruised cheek. "What happened to you?"

"Sasu-chan…Sasu-chan…" Emiko cried and buried her face in Sasori's shirt.

"That damn Uchiha…" Deidara ground out. "If I were still alive…"

Emiko was sobbing by now. Her entire body was trembling and she felt cold despite how warm Sasori was. "Sasu-chan is gone! He's not my Sasu-chan anymore! He's not the Sasu-chan I love!"

"Listen to me, Emiko." Nagato gently pried Emiko from Sasori. "You need to calm yourself. You will do no one any good in this state."

"But…" Emiko gasped out.

"I know you're upset." Nagato said softly. "The Uchiha boy is lucky that you love him so much and that I'm no longer alive to rip him apart. You cannot allow Madara's plan to be complete. You can't let him get you or the Uchiha boy."

"Papa, I'm scared." Emiko whimpered out. She hugged Nagato tightly.

Nagato hugged her back. "I know you are. I know."

Emiko flinched. Her entire body ached as she slowly woke up. She looked up and found she was in Sasuke's arms. "Sasu-chan…what happened?"

Sasuke looked down at her, no emotions in his deep onyx eyes. "Danzo blew himself up. We're heading to Konoha next."

_Mommy, Daddy, Naru-chan, 'Tachi…where are you?_ Emiko whimpered in her mind. _I'm scared…_

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**Review please!**


	74. Sakura Appears

**Happy Late Fourth of July, everyone! I hope you all had an awesome weekend! Sadly, I may have to start preparing to search for another job. My current workplace is going under and fast. I hope that she'll be able to keep it open for at least one more school year but with the way things are going…**

**Akatsuki-Hidan: Right now, I only have plans to introduce Emiko and her mother but who knows with me…**

**Sakura02: You know it's harder to hate him now because we saw him as a baby. He was so adorable. You know he'll be saved…eventually**

**team vampress: Right now, the field is just kind of a fun way for her to get to talk to her family. Later on though…**

**Priestess-of-Jashin: I think of Infected, Chase the Morning, I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much, and then Seventeen :)**

**Annoyed Valeria: Lol, I agree with the whole new Repo movie being a rip off. I refused to go see it.**

**KakashiisWifey: Wow, thanks for the huge compliment :) Yes, caffeine is a wonderful thing indeed.**

**itachisasuke: For now, I plan to follow the manga. There will obviously be some slight deviations due to Itachi still being alive and Emiko and Haruki being factored in.**

**Kpop Princess Mei: I have absolutely no problem if you want to draw Emiko! :) Send me a link once you have it up, please!**

**Thanks: lovelyanimeangel, MarzaPanda, Azura Soul Reaver, Usagi323, cherry-888, 3DY3Namite, gaaraofthefunk13, XeniaKunoichi, Miss Pein, Cheetay, Card Captor Fiona, immortal-lover14, YamiYugi100, Dreamer-Of-Loving, yvonna, Insanity Breaking Point, PokerXFace34, ashley, GingerSnapDragons, Random Fan, CuttlefishShiz, deathcab, Pikachuwolffox4, The Kunoichi, blinkeypanda, pepsipiggy, and kunoichi1012 for your reviews!**

**We're now over 1200 reviews! You guys are super!**

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Haruki knelt beside Naruto and brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead. The boy had collapsed from the sheer shock of all that had happened in the past few hours. She glanced over at Yamato. "You'll make sure he gets back to Konoha safely, won't you?"

Yamato smiled reassuringly at the clearly worried woman. "Of course, Haruki-senpai. You go with Kakashi-senpai and the others and get Emiko-chan back."

"Don't worry, Naruto." Haruki leaned over and kissed Naruto's forehead. "We'll get Emiko and Sasuke back. I won't let Madara destroy everything we love."

Kakashi and Itachi both straightened as Haruki stood up. "Haruki?" Kakashi said softly as Haruki walked over to the two of them and Sai. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I'm fine, Kakashi." Haruki smiled brightly and pecked his cheek. "Now then, let's go get our baby back!"

* * *

Emiko was standing at Sasuke's side, holding his hand tightly in hers. Her cheek still throbbed where he had struck her and she would occasionally rub the bruise subconsciously. She wasn't feeling very well. So many thoughts swirled through her head. She didn't know what to think about Sasuke anymore. "Sasu-chan, I don't feel good." Emiko whimpered out.

"Oi, Emiko!" Sasuke knelt beside Emiko as she collapsed to her knees and began coughing furiously. He wiped the blood from the corners of Emiko's mouth and frowned over at Madara. "Can't you do something to help her?"

Madara glanced up from where he had been hovering over Danzo's dead body. "Take her back to the base with you and rest for now. Once I've taken Danzo's eye, I'll join the two of you and take care of Emiko."

"Sasu-chan, I don't wanna go." Emiko whimpered out. Her face was buried in Sasuke's side and her hand clenched feebly onto Sasuke's shirt. "I wanna go home with Mommy and Daddy and 'Tachi and Naru-chan and you. Can we just go home to Konoha? Please?"

Sasuke tilted Emiko's face up and frowned at how pale she was. Her face was fading in and out of his vision. He cupped Emiko's cheek in his hand and rubbed his thumb over her bruised cheek.

"Sasu-chan, what's wrong?" Emiko asked. She brought her hands up to his face and held it in between her hands. "What's wrong with your eyes?"

"Didn't you know, Emiko?" Madara asked. "Sasuke is losing his sight, just like Itachi."

"Emiko, don't worry." Sasuke sighed out. He gently removed her hands from his face.

Madara made Danzo's body disappear before turning his attention back to Sasuke and Emiko. "Before you head over to the base, Sasuke, you should deal with that girl. She knows too much about us."

Emiko's eyes widened when she realized Madara was talking about Karin. As Madara disappeared, Emiko rushed over and threw her body over Karin's. She trembled as Sasuke made his way over to Karin. "Sasu-chan, don't. Karin is your friend. Don't hurt her…"

"Emiko…" Karin gasped out.

Sasuke yanked Emiko away from Karin's body. He stared down at Karin for a moment before raising his hand. "See ya."

* * *

"Sakura's gone on ahead." Sai said as he appeared beside Kakashi.

Haruki sighed. "Sakura was always so enamored with Sasuke. I don't know what we're going to do with that girl."

Itachi refrained from rolling his eyes. "She's not the only one that will doing anything for Sasuke." He flinched when he saw the worried look on Haruki's face. "I'm sure she's fine, Haruki. She's a strong girl for her age."

"But against someone like Madara…or even Sasuke?" Haruki said softly. "What if we're too late?"

Kakashi reached out and took Haruki's hand in his. "She'll be fine. She's got the blood of the Senju and the Hatake in her. On top of that, she was raised by some of the most notorious criminals in all of the ninja world. She won't be taken down so easily."

Haruki gave Kakashi a small smile and squeezed his hand. She looked ahead, hoping that not only her daughter, but Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto were all okay.

* * *

"Sasuke!"

Emiko turned her head to see where the familiar voice came from. Her eyes widened. "Sakura!"

Sasuke stilled his hand from finishing Karin off and frowned. "What are you doing here, Sakura?"

Emiko flinched as Sasuke's grip on her arm tightened. She struggled against his grip. "Sakura, you need to get out of here." She blinked as Sakura simply stood there with an odd look in her eyes. "Sakura?"

Sakura straightened up, completely ignoring Emiko. "Sasuke, let me join you. I'll help you destroy Konoha!"

* * *

**I know it's a little shorter than the past few chapters have been. I had to outline the next few chapters to see how close we were to catching up. This should be the last really short one for a while so please review!**


	75. Daddy and Mommy Appear!

**Priestess-of-Jashin: Yes, it's horrible now. I can't listen to music without thinking about whether it would go well with Emiko or not…**

**Sakura02: I suppose her and Naruto are somehow related…like fifth cousins once removed or something? We'll have to figure it out…don't worry! It's almost time for the Box of Shame!**

**KakashiisWifey: You'll have to keep reading to find out :)**

**lightwolfheart: Well, Madara is the villain after all :). No, it's not just your sister that's terrified of ants. I have a few kids in my class that are terrified of them. I personally find them to be plain irritating and I swear if one more crawls into my sandal and bites me!...well…anyways, enjoy the chapter :)**

**LaziiCloud: Yes, this part happened in the canon Naruto storyline. In reference to the enemies getting along well, are you talking about the group accepting Itachi rather quickly? That's more due to the fact that Haruki won't let Kakashi beat him up :). Yes, Sakura02 and I joke about how Emiko has her own little harem. I didn't intend to have it written that way but it somehow just worked out like that. Haha, yeah, I probably should have made everyone a little more gaspy dramatic. Thanks for the super long review!**

**Koko Dashi: Lol, it's almost like a combination of 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego' and 'Where's Waldo' only cooler XD**

**bloodplus103: I didn't take your review as a burn at all :). I actually went back to read which part you were referring to since it has been a while since I wrote those chapters. If I'm thinking correctly, it was chapter 13, correct? The reason Emiko basically becomes a damsel in distress when confronted with Orochimaru is because of when she was a small child and him trying to kidnap her. It's almost like PTSD for Emiko with anything involving Orochimaru which is why even when he wasn't there with the Sound Nin, when they mentioned taking her to him, it caused her to completely freeze up. Her being only four at the time didn't help. **

**Thanks so much to: team vampress, XeniaKunoichi, Texan Insomniac, Azura Soul Reaver, YamiYugi100, Card Captor Fiona, WhisperInTheRain, Ominous Blue, The Kunoichi, Cheetay, kunoichi1012, lovelyanimeangel, CuttlefishShiz, Pikachuwolffox4, gaaraofthefunk13, blank (there was no name in the space), i feel sick, GingerSnapDragons, itachisasuke, Usagi323, troth5, Insanity Breaking Point, sabl, and 'Nightengale'Serenade'93 for your reviews!**

* * *

Haruki kept pace with both Kakashi and Itachi as they leapt through the trees. Her daughter was close. She could feel it. Haruki glanced down to the ground and gasped. "Kakashi!"

Kakashi looked down to see what it was that had Haruki so upset. He sighed when he saw Sai, Lee, Kiba, and Akamaru all unconscious on the ground. "That girl…" He landed on the ground with Haruki and Itachi close behind him.

Without needing to be instructed by either Kakashi or Haruki, Itachi hid in the shadow of the trees.

Haruki gently lifted Kiba's head up and lightly shook him. "Kiba-chan, can you hear me?"

Kiba groaned and slowly cracked one eye open. He squinted up at Haruki for a moment before his eyes widened. "Haruki-sensei? What? Am I dead or something?" He asked weakly.

Haruki laughed and stroked Kiba's hair. "No, you aren't. It's a long story that we don't have time for. Sakura-chan did this, right? Do you know where she went off to?"

Kiba was struggling to stay awake. The effects of the sleep gas Sakura had thrown at them were still rather strong. "North…towards two o'clock…about…one…kilometer…" his head lolled to the side and he fell back asleep.

"Haruki, we don't have time to stay here and wait for the potion to wear off." Kakashi said as he placed a hand on Haruki's shoulders. He could see just how upset she was at the current events. "They'll be all right. Come on. Let's move them off the road."

Itachi reappeared and helped the two to move the children. "We aren't that far from them."

"If that man has hurt any of those children…" Haruki clenched her fist. "If he hurt my baby, I'll make sure he regrets ever being born."

* * *

Emiko glared suspiciously at Sakura as she stood in front of Sasuke. She had long since given up trying to escape from Sasuke's grasp and simply sat slightly in front of Sasuke, holding Karin's trembling hand in hers. She frowned at how pale Karin was becoming from the loss of blood and idly wondered if that was what she looked like when she got sick. If so, she could now understand why everyone looked so panicked when she got sick. It was scary to see someone so pale. "It's okay." She whispered softly to Karin. "It'll be okay."

Sasuke glanced briefly down at Emiko but otherwise said nothing to the child. He turned his gaze back to Sakura. "You'll gain nothing by following me. What is it that you're plotting?"

Sakura trembled slightly under Sasuke's intense gaze but steeled her resolve. "I'm not plotting anything! I've always regretted not going with you when you left Konoha."

"How can you say that?" Emiko snapped, glaring over at Sakura. "How can you regret staying with your friends and your family? What's wrong with you?"

"Be silent, Emiko." Sasuke said firmly.

Sakura's gaze flickered over to Emiko for a moment. "Please, Sasuke, I'll do anything you say. I don't want to have anymore regrets."

Sasuke stared at Sakura for a moment. "Do you even know what I want? I want to destroy Konoha. Are you really willing to betray Konoha for me?"

"You better not!" Emiko snapped at Sakura. "After everything Tsunade-neechan did for you…"

"Emiko," Sasuke roughly yanked her away from Karin and forced her to stand up. "I don't like repeating myself. Be silent." He turned his attention back to Sakura. "If you want to come with me, you'll have to prove it." He pointed at Karin. "Kill her."

"Sasu-chan, you can't!" Emiko wriggled and twisted in Sasuke's grip. She could feel her arm bruising from the force Sasuke was using to keep his grip on her arm. "You can't kill Karin. She's your friend!"

"Who is she?" Sakura asked as she slowly approached. She flinched slightly as she saw tears pouring down Emiko's cheeks. She wanted to reach out and pull Emiko into a hug. She wanted to let the little girl know that everything would be all right; she just needed to be patient.

Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly. "She is a member of my team but she is of no use to me now. You're a healer, so you'll do as a replacement for her.

Emiko was now clawing at Sasuke's hand. "Sakura-chan, don't hurt Karin. Please. I don't wanna see anymore people die. I don't want anyone else to get hurt…" She gasped as Sasuke suddenly shoved her roughly away from him. It took a few moments for Emiko to regain her footing. When she looked up, Sasuke was about to use chidori on Sakura whom had her back to him. "Sakura-chan, look out!" She rushed forward, trying to reach Sakura in time. She gasped as someone picked her up and leapt back away from Sasuke and Sakura.

"This is the last time I'm going to let you wander off on your own." Itachi muttered as he looked down at Emiko. He frowned and rubbed his thumb over the rather large bruise on her cheek. "Emiko, what…"

"Emiko!" Haruki took Emiko from Itachi and clutched her daughter close to her. She showered kisses all over her daughter's face. "Are you okay? Don't you ever run off on me like that again!"

"Mommy!" Emiko hugged her mother tightly and sniffled. "Sasu-chan…he…" She looked up and saw that Kakashi had saved Sakura from Sasuke's attack. "Daddy!"

"Sasuke," Itachi said softly as he came to stand beside Kakashi. "Enough. I'm alive, see? There is no need for you to follow Madara. Come home, Sasuke."

Sasuke stared blankly at Itachi. His gaze flickered between Itachi, to Kakashi standing protectively in front of Sakura, and then over to Haruki whom was holding Emiko tightly to her. He glared at his older brother, seemingly unfazed by the news that Itachi wasn't actually dead. "After everything Konoha has done to our family, you expect me to just go back there and pretend like nothing has happened? How do I even know you're really Itachi and not some illusion?"

Itachi held his hands up, showing he meant no harm. "You are an Uchiha. Surely you could see through something like that."

For a moment, Sasuke relaxed his battle stance. Suddenly, he swung his leg out and attempted to attack Itachi. He was thwarted by Kakashi mimicking his actions and leapt back out of harms way. "There's no way you're the real Itachi. Itachi would never stand for people using him like that!"

"He's completely fallen…" Kakashi muttered, looking nervously at his former pupil. They had hoped to calm Sasuke with Itachi's appearance but it seemed to anger the avenger even further. He glanced over at Haruki. "Is Emiko all right?"

"Yes!" Haruki said with relief. She slowly came to stand beside Kakashi, still holding Emiko. "Just a few bruises is all."

Kakashi stared at the bruise on his daughter's cheek and frowned. His frown deepened when he noticed the finger shaped bruises on Emiko's arm. "What happened?"

"Um…" Emiko twiddled her thumbs, unsure whether to tell the truth or not. "Nothing really…" her gaze flickered over to Sasuke whom was now a few feet from the group.

This didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi. He glared over at Sasuke. "How dare you hurt her like that!"

Even Itachi seemed angered. "Sasuke, it has always been us that protected Emiko. Remember when you were a child? You swore you'd always protect her and never allow her to be hurt."

Sasuke glared at both men. "Shut up! You think I wanted to hurt her? She wouldn't listen!"

Haruki moved back behind Kakashi to be beside Sakura. She sighed when she saw the terrified look on Sakura's face and how badly she was trembling as she feebly clutched a kunai in her hand. "Oh, Sakura." Haruki reached out and smoothed Sakura's hair down.

Sakura seemed to notice Haruki for the first time. "Haruki-sensei? How? I thought you were dead!" Her gaze flickered over to Itachi and for a brief moment, she tensed up as though about to attack. She blinked when Haruki placed a hand on hers and shook her head.

"We'll explain everything later." Haruki reassured. She pulled Sakura into a one armed hug while still holding Emiko. "My poor girls…"

"Sakura, were you planning on killing Sasuke on your own?" Kakashi asked. When he received no response, he sighed. "You shouldn't try to shoulder this burden on your own. I'm responsible for this seeing as I'm the leader of Team 7. I said things to you to falsely reassure you which I regret now…"

Emiko glanced up at Sakura, seeing the sadness etched into the teen's face. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Sakura's neck. "It's okay, Sakura-chan. Daddy and 'Tachi will save Sasu-chan. We'll all go home together and everything will be okay."

"Emiko, that's not…" Sakura stopped herself when she saw Haruki shaking her head again. She hugged Emiko back tightly and managed to get her out of Haruki's arms. She managed a weak smile as Emiko held her tightly. "Thank you, Emiko."

Kakashi looked between Sakura and Sasuke. "I've been a terrible sensei."

"That's not true!" Sakura protested.

"Yeah!" Emiko piped up. "Daddy is the best sensei in the whole world…well…aside from Mommy…and 'Tachi…"

Itachi knew that now was not the time to laugh. He bit his tongue and simply shook his head. He turned his attention back to his brother. "Sasuke, please listen to me. There is no need to destroy Konoha. There is no need for you to fall into the darkness."

"Sasuke," Kakashi added. "I've told you many times and I'll tell you again; don't become consumed by revenge!"

Sasuke laughed mirthlessly for a moment. His face suddenly turned serious as he glared at Kakashi and the group. "Bring me Itachi…the real one, not this imposter. Bring me back my mother and father! Bring me my clan and I will stop!"

Emiko wriggled out of Sakura's grasp and rushed forward. She would've run to Sasuke but Itachi' gently grabbed her shoulder. She stood in front of her father and Itachi, looking pleadingly at Sasuke. "This is 'Tachi, Sasu-chan! This is your brother! We can't bring you back your mom or dad but I'll share mine with you! Mommy loves you a lot and Daddy does too! We'll be your family. I know it's not as good as your real one but we all love you. Please, come home, Sasu-chan!"

Kakashi frowned as he saw fresh tears coming to Emiko's eyes. He pulled Emiko back towards her mother. "Emiko, he's beyond words now." He turned his attention back to Sasuke as Haruki held a sobbing Emiko. "I don't want to kill you…"

Sasuke laughed again. "You think you can? I've been wanting to kill you for a while now, Kakashi."

"Sakura," Kakashi said softly. "heal that girl until she can talk. Take her with you and get out of here. Haruki, I want you and Emiko to go with her. Itachi, make sure they get somewhere safe. I will carry this burden…"

"He is my brother." Itachi said quietly. "I am partially responsible for him becoming like this. This is not your burden alone to bear."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I doubt you will kill your own brother."

Itachi stared at the teenager before him. "This…person…is not my little brother."

"Mommy, what are they going to do?" Emiko asked as her gaze flickered between Sakura healing Karin and Kakashi, Itachi, and Sasuke getting into battle stances.

"Emiko," Haruki reached out and smoothed her daughter's hair down. "Sometimes…" Her voice cracked. "Sometimes the job of a ninja is a painful and difficult one. Sometimes, we have to do things we don't want to do…"

It took a moment for her mother's words to sink in. Emiko's eyes widened as she looked at Sakura whom was crying, her mother whom was biting her lip to keep the tears at bay, and then the three men all charging at each other. "Don't!" She screamed. "Don't kill him!"

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**All right! I hope that chapter was much better lengthwise. Please review!**


	76. Naruto Saves the Day

**I'm so sad! The website where I read all my manga is closing down :(. I was worried about what I was going to have to do with this fanfics since I use the website's scans to plan the chapters. However, Sakura02 found a new site so all is well! **

**Over 1300 reviews! You guys are amazing! I don't know what I'd do without you guys support!**

**kunochi1012: I figure Sasuke is so beyond the point of reasoning at this point that no matter what they show him, he won't believe them.**

**Priestess-of-Jashin: Lol, yeah, my stories take up a lot of my time; both my fanfics and my original novel. But, I love writing so I accept my fate :) **

**Sakura02: Yeah, I think that even if I follow the storyline now, it's still going to be a lot less canon from here on out. I don't think anything really phases Sasuke anymore since he's kind of crazy. And yes, Box of Shame forever!**

**Kpop Princess Mei: Kyaaa! I love the picture! It was absolutely adorable! You're the best! Thank you so much!**

**Miss Pein: We're actually going to be doing some flashbacks in a few chapters that will be sweet and cute. Please hang in there until then!**

**KakashiisWifey: Yeah, Emiko's kind of a mushy little girl. Yay! I love getting gold stars. They make me smile :)**

**itachisasuke: Sasuke isn't accepting Itachi because he is so consumed by hatred now that he's past the point of reasoning. As for whether Itachi still has ameretsu…**

**Thanks: Insanity Breaking Point, Usagi323, XeniaKunoichi, Card Captor Fiona, YamiYugi100, PCOrigami, Azura Soul Reaver, cherry-888, abcxyz, MarzaPanda, I-love-red-head-ninjas, Pikachuwolffox4, lovelyanimeangel, Cheetay, Ryouji1, MissStories, CuttlefishShiz, GingerSnapDragons, RandomGothicNinjaNerd, Xenon, The Kunoichi, gaaraofthefunk13, WhisperInTheRain, RurouniTensai, team vampress, InaTiKoti, Kenta Jun, **

* * *

Hearing Emiko's scream caused Itachi to pause momentarily. He glanced back over at the child crying just a short distance from them. He knew he shouldn't have allowed Emiko to go after Sasuke. He should have dragged her kicking and screaming back to her mother and father. Because he hadn't done that, she now had to watch everyone fighting.

"Itachi!" Kakashi saw the attack from Susanoo heading towards the elder Uchiha brother. He quickly stepped in front of Itachi and blew the attack away with his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Haruki," he shouted "keep Emiko with you! Don't let her come out!"

Haruki looked up from trying to comfort a sobbing Sakura. Her eyes widened when she saw Emiko was running towards the three fighting shinobi. "Emiko!" She rushed after her daughter and scooped her up in her arms. "You can't, Emiko. You can't do anything."

Emiko struggled in her mother's grasp. "Yes I can. Let me talk to Sasu-chan! The real him is still in there somewhere, I'm sure of it."

Haruki held her daughter close and forced her to look over at where the fight had paused momentarily. "Does that look like the Sasuke you know and love?"

Emiko wanted to say yes, wanted to look at Sasuke and not be afraid. As she clutched at her mother's arms and stared over at Sasuke, she could see the cold smirk on his face, the light gone from his eyes. She turned her head away from him and buried her face in her mother's chest.

Kakashi dared to glance over his shoulder and confirm that Haruki had successfully caught Emiko. Once he had confirmed this, he turned back to Sasuke. "Sasuke, your clan, your hatred, that's not all that makes you."

Sasuke simply smirked. "Are you still spouting that garbage?"

Itachi sighed, a brief flicker of sadness in his eyes. "Sasuke, think about it. What of your friends?"

The smirk on Sasuke's face immediately disappeared. "They're all…laughing…" He said softly. "Itachi died so they could all laugh! They know nothing and so they are able to laugh!"

"He still doesn't think I'm really me…" Itachi said softly. "Kakashi, talking to him will do no more good. Why do you insist on holding back?" He saw Kakashi's eyes flicker over to where Emiko was now sobbing in Haruki's arms, seeming to finally accept what was happening. "Do you want her to grow up always waiting for him? Always hoping that he's going to come around? Don't get her hopes up like you did Sakura's and Naruto's."

Kakashi looked back to Sasuke and the Uchiha's Susanoo seemed to roar back to life. "…I know…"

Sasuke glared at the two men. "All of that laughter sounds like scorn and disdain to me now! I want to turn that laughter into screams of agony!"

"Mommy, it hurts…" Emiko whimpered out as she heard Sasuke shouting. She clutched her chest. "It feels like my heart is getting ripped up."

Haruki held her daughter closer, refusing to allow Emiko to look up. "I know it does, Emiko." She could feel tears coming to her eyes as well as memories flickered through her mind. A little Sasuke sitting in her class, constantly fighting with a younger Naruto. Sasuke being in complete awe that a tiny baby was inside her stomach, a baby that would be his special person. A little Sasuke smiling as he held Emiko for the first time. The tears rolled down her cheeks unbidden as she continued to hold Emiko. "I know."

Itachi was prepared to retreat back from Sasuke when Susanoo suddenly flickered out. He watched as his younger brother clutched at his eyes. "His vision is fading fast. Now is our chance to strike."

Kakashi was about to respond when he saw Sakura sneaking up on Sasuke. "Wait," he said softly. "damnit, Sakura…"

Emiko finally managed to turn in Haruki's arms. Her eyes widened when she saw Sakura. "Mommy!" She felt Haruki's grip on her loosen when she saw Sakura lunge at Sasuke with a kunai drawn. Emiko slipped from her mother's arms and ran forward. She knew Sakura wouldn't be able to kill Sasuke. She was a few paces behind Itachi and Kakashi as they rushed forward when Sasuke whipped around and grabbed Sakura by the throat and took her kunai away. "Sasu-chan, don't! Don't hurt Sakura-chan!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as Sasuke brought the kunai down. He was going to do it. He was going to kill Sakura and neither her, nor Kakashi, nor Itachi were going to get there in time to stop him. "Sasu-chan, stop it!"

In a flash, Sakura had disappeared from Sasuke's grip. Naruto stood a few feet from Sasuke, holding the trembling kunoichi in his arms. In the brief moment of surprise at Naruto's appearance, Kakashi punched Sasuke in the stomach and sent the Uchiha flying into the air. Emiko immediately rushed over to Sakura and Naruto's side to make sure they were both all right. Itachi stood defensively in front of the children where Kakashi and Haruki both joined him briefly.

"Naru-chan!" Emiko squealed in joy after ensuring that Sakura was all right. She latched onto Naruto and hugged him tightly. "You're like a superhero! You showed up just in time to save Sakura-chan!"

Naruto grinned down at Emiko and patted her head. He frowned when he noticed the large bruise on her cheek and gently ran his thumb over it. "What happened, Emiko? Did you fall?"

Self-consciously, Emiko placed a hand over her injured cheek. She lowered her head but continued to cling to Naruto. "Something like that…"

Kakashi scoffed. "Sasuke did it."

Before Naruto could question Emiko, Sasuke landed on his feet a few feet from the group. He frowned as he looked over at his best friend. "Sasuke, both you and Sakura are members of Team 7."

Sasuke smirked spitefully. "Former member in my case."

Emiko clung tightly to Naruto as she looked back up at him. "Sasu-chan isn't the same anymore. He's not our Sasu-chan anymore. He's hurting everyone, Naru-chan…"

Naruto moved forward to stand by the adults, Emiko still firmly attached to his side. "Sasuke, while you were busy destroying the Kage meeting, Tobi approached me. He told me the truth about Itachi. I…I understand what you're doing."

Everyone looked at Naruto in alarm, unsure what he meant. Only Emiko truly knew what he meant, since she had been there when he had confronted Pein about killing Jiraiya. She understood that he had been faced with the same choice as Sasuke. Unlike Sasuke, though, Naruto chose to not take his revenge on Pein.

Sasuke glared hatefully at Naruto, all the mirth and spite wiped from his face. "Naruto, I've told you before, you have no parents, no siblings. You can't understand what I'm going through. So shut up!"

"Don't you talk to Naru-chan like that!" Emiko shouted, not noticing the almost shocked look on Sasuke's face. "Naru-chan just wants you to come home with us! Why can't you just listen, Sasu-chan!"

"She's right!" Sakura chimed in, stepping forward as well. "No matter what terrible things we heard about you, Naruto has always considered you a friend!"

Emiko was about to continue yelling when Naruto placed a hand on top of her head. She looked up and saw the almost sad smile on his face. Emiko fell silent and simply went back to just holding onto Naruto. She buried her face in his side. He was so warm. It wasn't like when Sasuke held her now with his cold arms. "Naru-chan..."

Anger flashed through Sasuke's eyes before his hateful smirk returned. "I killed one of the elders of Konoha here, the one named Danzo. It was amazing. I'd never felt anything like it before. It was like the disgrace of the Uchiha was being cleansed."

"Emiko, is this true?" Kakashi asked, alarm clear on his face.

"Yes," Emiko said softly. "Madara took the body away with him. I don't know what he's going to do with it."

"When I kill everyone in Konoha," Sasuke continued, almost gleefully. "the Uchiha clan will be purified! That will be the true revival of the Uchiha clan!"

Haruki glowered at the youth, pulling a kunai from her pouch at the same time that Naruto summoned a doppelganger. She paused when Kakashi threw an arm out to stop both her and Naruto. "Kakashi, what are you doing?"

"This is my job." Kakashi said firmly. "I want the rest of you to leave now before you see something you don't like. He won't die from any poisoned kunai." He looked pointedly over at Sakura whom lowered her head. "Orochimaru saw to it that he was resistant to poisons."

Itachi sighed as he stepped forward along with Kakashi. "This isn't your job alone. I am responsible for Sasuke being what he is."

Emiko's eyes widened but she said nothing. She blinked as Naruto dislodged himself from her. Before she could say anything, Naruto was charging at Sasuke with a rasengan while Sasuke charged at the group with a chidori. The other two doppelganger were holding both Kakashi and Haruki back while Saskura simply stood rooted to the spot. She saw Itachi preparing to launch himself forward so she grabbed the end of his sleeve. "Don't."

Itachi paused and looked down at the child. "Emiko, let go."

"No." Emiko said stubbornly. "This is…this is Sasu-chan's and Naru-chan's fight. Besides, your eyes, they're still hurting you, aren't they?" When she saw Itachi stiffen, she hugged his arm. "You can't fight Sasuke like this. You'll just die and leave me again. I…I don't want to lose both of you."

Itachi could feel the tiny body behind him quaking from unshed tears. He loosened his body stance and gently pried Emiko's grip from his arm so he could pick her up. "All right…"

Emiko watched as Naruto and Sasuke's attacks connected with each other. As the water sprayed everywhere, it seemed like time stood still briefly. Though neither Naruto or Sasuke said anything to each other, Emiko could almost feel like they had exchanged words. She could feel their emotions as their attacks connected with each other and she understood the options presented to Naruto by Sasuke. He could either die along with everyone else from Konoha, or kill Sasuke and become the hero of the village. However, she could also sense the option Naruto had chosen for himself and it caused her heart to clench painfully.

Itachi frowned down at the small child who's eyes seemed almost glazed over. "What's wrong, Emiko?"

Emiko blinked, realizing none of the others seemed able to sense the exchange. She lowered her head to rest against Itachi's shoulders and closed her eyes, hoping her feelings would reach Naruto. "Me too…" she whispered. "I…I'll help you, Naruto."


	77. The Decision Is Made

**It's my vacation week! This week, my goal is to complete the second draft of my novel. We'll see how that goes since I'm practically starting over from scratch. Can't wait for school to start back up, though.**

**Priestess-of-Jashin: Yeah, it was OneManga. I was very sad. I don't have my novel on any websites because I hope to get it published once it's all done. I've more or less got the whole ending of this fanfic planned out. The issue is just making it to the end…**

**Sakura02: I'll take a potato chip…and…FWAH! :) Don't worry, it's just this chapter and one more before we get to the flashbacks/story time with mommy…**

**Usagi323: Lol, I pictured Naruto in the batman outfit and everything when I read your review. It made my day.**

**vixena1: Please send me your ideas. I have a vague idea of what I'm going to have happen but I'm always open to other ideas :)**

**Thanks: abcxyz, Ray-nee-chan, wekickass16, lightwolfheart, itachisasuke, Azura Soul Reaver, Insanity Breaking Point, Cheetay, Kpop Princess Mei, InaTiKoti, KakashiisWifey, team vampress, Dreamer-of-Loving, kunochi1012, Anonymous 25, Pikachuwolffox4, kushuna, AnimeCrazed121, hyuuzumaki lover, Sukoshi Kitsune, and francisca for reviewing!**

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Emiko clung tightly to Itachi as the force from Naruto and Sasuke's attack caused the water they were standing on to turn violent. She glanced up and saw both Naruto and Sasuke being flung backwards by the force of their attacks. "Naru-chan!"

Haruki rushed forward at the same time as Kakashi, both jounin catching the flying boy. She smiled briefly at the grateful look on Naruto's face before looking over at Sasuke. Her gaze hardened when she saw that he had been caught by Zetsu.

"What are you doing here, 'Tsu?" Emiko called over.

Zetsu simply leered over at them. "Madara ordered me to watch Sasuke's back. I can't believe you've betrayed us, Itachi." He said, turning his attention to the elder Uchiha. "You'd betray us for a woman?"

"Be silent." Itachi hissed, his eyes flickering briefly over to Haruki. "Everything I did, I did to make sure Madara would never get Sasuke or Emiko."

Zetsu smirked as he looked at Sasuke. "Well, it looks like you failed."

"Don't you dare talk to 'Tachi like that!" Emiko screamed, attempting to struggle away from Itachi to throttle the plant man. She paused when she saw Naruto straighten up and saw the hard look in his eyes. She hopped out of Itachi's arms and went over to Naruto. She grabbed his hand and looked up at him, trying to convey her thoughts through her eyes alone.

Naruto seemed to understand and he smiled at her, squeezing her hand. He looked back over at Sasuke. "I'm certain of it now…"

Haruki frowned, noticing the brief exchange between Naruto and Emiko. "What are you talking about, Naruto?"

Emiko shuddered suddenly as the air beside Zetsu and Sasuke shimmered before Madara appeared. Emiko snarled at the masked man, subconsciously scooting behind Naruto.

Madara sighed as he looked at Sasuke. "I told you to come back and rest." He turned his attention to the group standing a few feet away. "Well, well…the Kyubi and Emiko both in the same place…and Haruki and Itachi…quite the reunion. We'll retreat for now."

Multiple Zetsu doppelgangers popped up from the water. "Why not let me capture the Kyubi and Emiko? We'll need them at some point."

Haruki immediately placed herself between Zetsu and the two children. She glared at Madara, her kunai drawn. "You come near these children and I'll slit your throat."

Itachi and Kakashi moved to either side of Haruki, both prepared to fight. "You should sit this one out, Kakashi." Itachi said quietly.

Kakashi scoffed. He was exhausted and knew he wouldn't do much good. "Don't talk to your superiors like that."

Madara was silent for a moment. "No, Zetsu. I don't think you'll be able to handle Haruki, let alone Itachi or the Kyubi. We'll allow Sasuke to hunt the Kyubi and Emiko down. It'll be fun."

Emiko stiffened, her grip on Naruto tightening. She still didn't understand what Madara wanted her for. She pushed between Kakashi and Haruki. She looked at Sasuke, confusion and hurt on her face. After everything that had happened, she still loved Sasuke and wanted him to come back. At the same time, she knew that dream had long since faded. She knew Sasuke was never coming back.

"It's okay." Naruto whispered as he too stepped forward. He reached out and took Emiko's hand in his before looking back over at Sasuke.

"Naruto…" Haruki reached out and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, unsure what he was planning to do.

Naruto threw a grin over his shoulder. "Don't worry, Haruki-sensei. I just want to say something to Sasuke." He turned his attention back to Sasuke. "Do you remember what you said to me at the Valley of the End? About top-class ninja? You said that when their fist meet, they're able to read each others minds. I didn't understand what you meant at the time, but now, I do. We've both become top-class ninja. Even Emiko. Even though she wasn't fighting, she could sense our feelings." He felt Emiko's grip on his hand tighten and he picked her up. "So, Sasuke, did you see what was in my heart? You saw it, didn't you? The next time you and I fight, we're both going to die."

Even though Emiko had known Naruto was going to say it, had sensed it in the exchange between Sasuke and Naruto, the words still stung her. She didn't want either of them to die. She didn't want to lose either of them. She blinked as Naruto rubbed the cut on her cheek from Sasuke hitting her.

"Our fight will be inevitable if you do attack Konoha." Naruto continued. "So keep your hatred, let it fester, and hit me with it full force when we fight. Don't ever take it out on Emiko or anyone else again. Only I can bear the full brunt of your hatred. I'll bear the burden of your hatred and we'll die together."

"Me too," Emiko whispered quietly to Naruto so no one else heard though Sasuke saw her lips moving. "I'll help you too, Naru-chan. I won't let you deal with Sasu-chan's hatred alone." Her arms around his neck tightened when he looked down at her to protest.

Sasuke could feel anger boiling inside of him. "What's wrong with you?" He yelled. "Why do you care so much about me?"

Naruto glanced back up at Sasuke, deciding to talk to Emiko later. "It's because we're friends. I'm not like Emiko. My words don't reach you, though, it seems hers no longer reach you anymore. The only way we can communicate is with our fist."

Emiko frowned as Naruto continued talking to Sasuke. She noticed a tiny cut on his cheek for the first time and wondered where it had come from. She reached out and wiped the small trickle of blood coming from the wound. Her frown deepened when she saw just how pale Naruto was becoming. She looked up when Naruto grabbed her hand. She looked back at Sasuke and saw the confusion on his face as he yelled at Naruto. Maybe…maybe she could still hope…

Haruki stepped forward. "Naruto, we'll leave Sasuke to you. But, Madara is mine." She summoned one of her wind blades, ready to attack Madara.

Madara sighed. "Don't bother, Haruki. We're leaving now. Let's go, Sasuke."

Emiko watched from the safety of Naruto's arms as Madara disappeared along with Sasuke and Zetsu. She blinked as Naruto suddenly began falling backwards, still holding onto her. "Naru-chan!" She shrieked when she saw him frothing at the mouth. She immediately began sobbing. "Naru-chan's dead!"

Itachi plucked the wailing girl off of Naruto while Haruki rushed frantically to Naruto's side with Kakashi and Sakura close behind. "Calm down, Emiko. He's not going to die."

"Sakura, hurry!" Haruki said frantically, keeping Naruto's head supported. "Get the antidote."

Sakura's eyes widened in realization. "That cuts from the poison kunai Sasuke took from me!"

Emiko continued wailing. "Sakura-chan killed Naru-chan!"

After a few moments, the antidote ran its course and Naruto shakily stood up with Haruki's help. He yelped as Emiko flew from Itachi's arms to his. "Ah, sorry, Emiko. Did I scare you?"

Emiko nodded. She glanced over when she saw Kakashi hoist Karin onto his back. She had almost forgotten about Karin in the chaos of a few moments ago. She smiled at Karin when she saw the teenager look at her. She received a shaky smile in return for her troubles.

"We're going to Konoha so don't try anything." Kakashi said to Karin.

Haruki wrestled Emiko from Naruto and placed her daughter on the ground. She held the little girl's hand and smiled. "Konoha…"

Itachi took Emiko's free hand. "It's been a while since you've been there."

Haruki smiled brightly at Itachi as Emiko struggled away from the two of them and rushed forward to Naruto and Sakura. She laughed as Emiko grabbed onto Naruto's hand and scolded Sakura for carelessly losing her weapon. "We're going home, Itachi."

Itachi nodded thoughtfully, deciding it best not to point out that he may not be welcomed with open arms. "What are we going to do about Madara?"

"Beat him." Kakashi said as he came up on Haruki's other side. He watched his daughter walking beside Naruto, happily swinging their connected hands back and forth. "He's not getting near either of them."

"I'm worried about Emiko." Haruki said softly. "What if…what if she tries to help Naruto?"

"Our daughter is not going to die." Kakashi said firmly.

"Mommy, Daddy, 'Tachi, hurry up!" Emiko yelled, walking backwards to yell at them. She yelped as she fell on her bottom and scraped her hands. She began to cry.

Itachi couldn't help the small smile that cracked his face as Naruto picked up the crying girl and began carrying her while Sakura scolded Naruto for spoiling her. "It'll be all right, Haruki."

Emiko, oblivious to what the grown ups were talking about snuggled happily into Naruto as he carried her. "Hey, Naru-chan, when we get back to Konoha, let's get ramen. I miss ramen."

Naruto grinned down at her. "Sure." He glanced over at Sakura and sighed. He wanted to talk to Emiko but couldn't with others around. It would have to wait.

Emiko simply looked over his shoulder and watched as her mother was now happily talking to her father and Itachi. She had never seen Itachi so relaxed and mellow or seen her father's eyes light up like that. She smiled as she rested her head on Naruto's shoulder and drifted off. She was exhausted, but happy. Her hands clutched the fabric of Naruto's jacket tightly. "It'll be okay, Naru-chan. Everything will be okay."


	78. Going Home

**So, my Mythology professor apparently thinks Hera is the goddess of hearth and home and that Pandora had a jar and not a box…**

**team vampress: I believe at this point now, Emiko is starting to see who truly cares for her and who just wants to use her. I think too that if anyone insults her Itachi, she's going to beat them, no matter who it is.**

**Dreamer-of-Loving: I go to MangaReader now. It's pretty good.**

**Sakura02: Come on, now. It's an Uchiha. They're a cranky bunch :)**

**Priestess-of-Jashin: I'm following the manga right now, but I'm also changing stuff since we have Emiko and Itachi there. I've already got the ending planned, I'm just waiting to see how Kishimoto does it.**

**Miss Pein: I found a new website, so it's all good :)**

**Anemos: I am following the manga to a certain extent. Things are, however, going to be very different since Emiko and Itachi and Haruki are there.**

**vixena1: I am willing to take requests, however, I can only do a one shot to five chapters max. Message me your request and I'll see what I can do :)**

**Thank you: Sukoshi Kitsune, Rakkii, hyuuzumaki lover, Usagi323, Azura Soul Reaver, lovelyanimeangel, Cheetay, shinigami777, gaaraofthefunk13, RuuunItsJasmine, PCOrigami, KakashiisWifey, missymoo11, kunochi1012, katsekala, XeniaKunoichi, and Kuroda Chiaki for your reviews.**

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Emiko blinked as she stared at the unconscious ninja on the side of the road. She nudged Kiba in the side with her foot before looking at Haruki and the others. "I think Sakura-chan killed Kiba-chan too."

"He's not dead!" Sakura protested, thought she did look rather guilty.

Haruki gave Sakura a stern look. "I expect you to apologize to Kiba-kun and the others once they wake up, Sakura. They were only trying to help you."

"Okay, Haruki-sensei." Sakura sighed. Emiko and the others had explained to her everything that had happened, including why Haruki and Itachi were there.

Itachi shifted nervously. "I don't think this is a good idea." He muttered.

Haruki rolled her eyes. "Nonsense. Once we explain to everyone what you've done, I'm sure they'll understand."

Kakashi decided it would be best not to argue with Haruki. "We'll work something out."

Emiko yawned as the grown ups continued to talk. She hadn't realized just how exhausted she was with everything that had been going on. She looked down at Kiba and the others that were sound asleep on the ground. It really didn't seem like that bad of a place for a nap and the adults didn't seem to want to stop talking anytime soon. Emiko curled up on the ground beside Kiba and almost immediately fell asleep. Before she completely drifted off, she felt something warm curl up behind her.

Haruki couldn't help but to giggle at the sight of Naruto sound asleep and curled up with a sleeping Emiko. "They're both so adorable." She cooed.

"Itachi." Kakashi whispered quietly.

Nodding, Itachi rushed over and hoisted Emiko up and out of Naruto's arms. He nodded over to Kakashi and carried Emiko back over to the main group.

Haruki rolled her eyes. "You men are such spoil sports. Well, we should wake these boys up now."

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"Papa, I'm worried about Mama." Emiko said softly. She was sitting in the field with the Akatsuki in Sasori's lap. "I don't know where she went. What if Madara tries to hurt her?"

Nagato nodded his head thoughtfully. "Konan can take care of herself. She'll be all right, Emiko. So, I understand your real mother showed up."

None of the Akatsuki missed how Emiko's eyes lit up as she nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yup! Daddy was so happy to see Mommy again! And 'Tachi is coming home with us!"

Deidara rolled his eyes. "I can't stand those damn Uchihas." He yelped as Emiko threw her shoe at him.

"Quit picking on poor, 'Tachi!" Emiko yelled. "He's very emotionally distressed right now since Sasu-chan is being a meanie!"

"Speaking of the younger Uchiha." Kakuzu said, frowning. "what happened to your cheek, Emiko?"

Emiko immediately closed her mouth, rubbing her bruised cheek self-consciously. "I…fell…on a…kunai…"

"I call bullshit!" Hidan said. "Did that damn Uchiha brat do that? I'll kill the little fucker."

"Leave Sasu-chan alone!" Emiko wailed. "He's just…upset right now! We're going to fix him! Me and Naru-chan are going to fix him so leave him alone!"

Sasori sighed as he rocked back and forth with the little girl. "All right. It's okay. Ignore Hidan. You know he's an idiot." He glared over at the Jashin worshipper, daring him to argue with him.

Emiko nodded, calming herself down. Her thoughts drifted over to what Naruto had said. She would help him, she knew that. She looked up when she felt eyes on her and smiled brightly at Nagato. "I'm okay, Papa." She blinked as the meadow slowly began to fade. She smiled at all of the Akatsuki. "See you guys soon."

"Look, you woke Emiko up with all your shouting!"

"You were shouting too, Naruto!"

Emiko slowly cracked her eyes open. Someone was holding her. When she turned her head to the side, she found her face buried in someone's neck. She smiled when she realized who it was. "Hi, 'Tachi."

Itachi cracked a brief smile at Emiko, adjusting her in his arms. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh huh." Emiko frowned when she saw how Kiba and Lee were both looking rather suspiciously at Itachi. "You guys better not pick on 'Tachi. He's a good person."

Kiba held his hands up defensively. "We know. Kakashi-sensei and Haruki-sensei explained everything to us. You can't really blame us, though. He doesn't exactly have the…greatest reputation."

"That's Madara's fault! Not 'Tachi's!" Emiko yelled. She blinked as Itachi held her up in the air under her arms. She pouted down at Itachi, her feet dangling limply in the air.

"Don't worry about it, Emiko." Itachi said softly. "You cannot be angry at others for being wary of me."

Emiko huffed and crossed her arms over her chest once Itachi had put her down. "I still don't think it's fair. 'Tachi's a good person." She blinked as three strange looking Anbu appeared before the group. She immediately leapt in front of Itachi, a kunai drawn when she saw their attention flicker over to Itachi.

"It's all right." Sai said. "He's one of us." He repeated the story that the others had already heard.

"Who are these guys anyway?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi frowned, adjusting Karin on his back. "They're Anbu from Root."

The Anbu stared at Itachi a moment longer before returning their attention to Sai. "What has happened to Danzo-sama?"

"The seal Danzo-sama placed on us has disappeared." Sai said. "There is only one reason that would happen."

The lead Root Anbu nodded. "So, Danzo-sama has passed away."

Sai nodded. "I believe Root will need to sit down and have a long chat with Konoha's new Hokage; Hatake Kakashi."

Haruki giggled when she noticed the shocked look on Emiko's face. She knelt down by her daughter. "That's right; you'd run off before Gaara finished talking. Kakashi is the new Hokage."

Emiko was silent for a moment before letting out a whoop of joy. "That means I can do whatever I want!" She yelped as Itachi lightly whapped her on the head.

Kakashi frowned as the Anbu moved towards Itachi in a less than friendly manner. "He's with me. You will not touch him."

The Anbu muttered but immediately backed off.

Emiko latched onto Haruki's hand for the rest of the journey to Konoha. The Anbu went on ahead to inform the elders of the village what had transpired and of the arrival of not only Haruki, but Itachi as well.

The sight of Konoha's gates filled Emiko with a joy she hadn't felt in a while. She hadn't realized just how much she missed the village, how much she missed the place she considered her home.

"Well," Kakashi began. "I'll take our prisoner here to Ibiki before going to talk to the elders."

Haruki smiled at Kakashi. "I'll go with you. What about you, Itachi?"

Itachi stood stoically just outside the gate. "I'll just go to the Uchiha compound. It's been a while since I've been there."

Emiko released her mother and went over to Itachi. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. "Do you want me to go with you, 'Tachi? That way you won't be lonely."

Itachi once again cracked a smile. He leaned down and kissed the top of Emiko's head. "No. You go with your friends. I'll be fine on my own."

Kiba shifted uncomfortably at the display of affection the Uchiha had just given Emiko. "Can we go? I want to know what Naruto has to say about what happened."

Naruto nodded slowly. "You, Lee, and Sakura go find everyone and meet me and Emiko over at the construction area." He said. As soon as everyone had departed, Naruto took Emiko's hand in his. "You don't have to do this, you know."

Emiko shook her head and smiled at Naruto. "I want to. I want to help save Sasu-chan, no matter what."

Naruto sighed, but let it drop. He blinked when he heard someone calling his name. He looked up and grinned. "Inari!"

Emiko immediately hid behind Naruto, peering out from behind him to see the brightly smiling Inari staring at her. She fiddled with the hem of Naruto's shirt, her gaze lowered. "Hi, Inari-kun."

"Hey, Emiko. It's been a while since I've seen you guys! Where are you two going anyways?" Inari asked, turning his attention to Naruto.

A wicked thought suddenly came to Naruto. "Oh, I was just going to go hang out with the Sakura and the others. Do you think you could take Emiko with you? She'll just get bored hanging out with us and I know she's hungry." He couldn't meet Emiko's terrified eyes for fear of laughing.

Inari continued smiling, oblivious to Naruto's hidden laughter and Emiko's horrified look. "Sure. I was ready for lunch anyways." He held a hand out to Emiko. "Do you want to go get ramen?"

Emiko hesitated, before placing her hand in Inari's. She blinked as Inari's hand enclosed her own. It wasn't quite as warm as Naruto's hand but it most certainly wasn't cold like Sasuke's. It felt soothing to Emiko and she immediately relaxed as Inari led her away.

"So, where'd you and Naruto go?" Inari asked, still holding Emiko's hand as he led the way to Ichiraku's Ramen Stand. He blinked when Emiko remained silent. Looking down, he saw her biting her lip nervously. "Ah, sorry, you can't say anything, right?"

"Yeah." Emiko said softly. Her face suddenly lit up. "We found my mommy! Daddy was really happy! You'll like her. She's really pretty and really nice."

Inari smiled as Emiko gushed about her mother. The two continued talking all the way to the ramen stand. There conversations ranged from their line of work to their favorite games. Before either of them knew it, they were in front of Ichiraku. "Well, shall we get lunch?"

Emiko nodded, the smile never wavering from her face as Inari led her into the small stand.

Neither noticed the rather large group following behind them.

"That's it." Kakashi said from his hiding place. "I'm going to go in there and put a stop to this."

"Don't you dare!" Haruki, Sakura, Ino, TenTen, and Hinata all hissed in unison.

"I don't like this." Itachi muttered, ignoring the startled look on Kiba's face.

After Naruto had spoken to the Rookie Nine and Lee's Team, they had met up with Haruki, Kakashi, and Itachi. They had all rejoiced at the news that Tsunade was alive and well and would remain the Hokage. When questioned as to where Emiko was by Kakashi, Naruto had grown nervous and muttered out that she was with Inari.

Haruki had had to follow both Kakashi and Itachi to make sure they didn't spoil Emiko's time with Inari and the others had wound up following.

"She's too young to be dating." Kakashi argued.

Haruki rolled her eyes. "It's not a date. It's two friends getting lunch together. You wouldn't consider it a date if Naruto took Emiko to get lunch."

"This is different." Kakashi insisted. "You didn't see the way she blushed when she first met Inari."

"I think it's adorable." Ino cooed as she watched Inari help Emiko break her chopsticks. "I think somebody like Inari would be good for Emiko. He's so sweet with her."

"Ah, the wonder of youth." Lee yelled joyfully, earning him a loud 'shush' from the rest of the group.

"They're coming out." Chouji muttered, chomping on chips.

"What do you want to do now, Emiko?" Inari asked as the two left Ichiraku holding hands.

Emiko was slightly taken aback. "Don't you have to get back to work?"

"Nah, Gramps gave me the day off. So," He grinned down at Emiko. "What do you want to do?"

"Oh," Emiko thought for a moment. "We could go to the river and swim." She blinked when there was a loud 'pop' sound coming from behind a fence and the cry of alarm that followed. Letting go of Inari's hand, Emiko rushed over to the fence, Inari close behind her. "What are you all doing here?" She shrieked.

Coming back from the shock of Naruto suddenly disappearing, Sakura managed to at least look a little guilty. "Nothing in particular. More importantly, Naruto's disappeared!"

"Oh. He probably went to talk to the froggies." Emiko said simply. "He told me about them." She said to everyone's questioning looks. "Inari, do you still want to go swimming?"

"You can't!" Kakashi shouted. He straightened up when everyone looked at him. "I mean, it's time we went home, isn't it?"

Haruki rolled her eyes at Kakashi. "You're hopeless."

"It's okay, Emiko." Inari said, still smiling. "We can go swimming another time." He bent down and pecked Emiko on the cheek before running off to go find his grandfather. "I'll see you later, Emiko!"

"Aw, Emiko!" Ino squealed as she hugged the red faced child. "That was so adorable!"

"No it wasn't!" Kakashi shouted. He flinched as Haruki elbowed him in the ribs.

Haruki smiled and took Emiko's hand in hers. "Let's go home, Emiko."

Emiko smiled as Kakashi soon took her other hand. The three walked to Kakashi's apartment. Emiko wrinkled her nose. "It's dirty." She said.

Haruki sighed as she looked around. It was obvious Kakashi hadn't cleaned in a while. "Well, we were going to have to rearrange stuff anyways." She rolled up her sleeves. "Let's get to work."

For the rest of the day, the three worked diligently to clean the house and prepare the spare bedroom for Emiko. "We'll decorate it soon." Haruki promised her daughter. The three were so exhausted by the end of the day that they completely skipped dinner and instead, curled up on the couch with Emiko nestled between Kakashi and Haruki.

"Is 'Tachi going to be okay at the compound by himself?" Emiko asked.

"Yes." Haruki assured. "It's for the best. There are still those in the village that do not trust Itachi. It took a while to convince the elders to even allow him to stay in the village. He's not allowed to go anywhere outside the compound without an Anbu escort." She giggled when she noticed Kakashi was already asleep, his head resting on the arm of the couch.

Emiko was silent again for a moment. "Mommy, tell me a story."

Haruki smiled down at her daughter. "What kind of story?"

"A story about you." Emiko said

Haruki thought for a moment. She pulled Emiko into her lap and smoothed her hair down. "Okay. I'll tell you about when I taught Naruto and the others, when they were still very little."

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**Fillers will be starting next chapter! Please review and let me know your thoughts!**


	79. Falling

**Sorry for not updating for a couple of weeks. Things have been hectic at school what with all my professors deciding to have tests and projects due now. Plus, I got my tattoo which is itching like crazy! Thank you for all being so patient with me :)**

**Lady Rini: Well, I can't tell you everything I have planned since that would spoil the fun :) However, yes, I will be following the events though I may not go into much detail about certain ones since Emiko will not be present there.**

**team vampress: Yeah, I tried to have Emiko kind of be what I think everyone strives to be in their own way; a loving, understanding, all around good person :)**

**hikari no mikomi: Yes, I read the latest Naruto chapters each week which is why Konan was mentioned. I think I kind of had her do that because, like you, I would love nothing more than to be able to talk to my grandfather again. I think really for Emiko, I tried to take the best of people and squish it all into her.**

**Priestess-of-Jashin: There's about a thirteen year difference between Emiko and Itachi. I think more for Kakashi, he'd be more okay with it if it weren't for Emiko being only seven and the fact that he's just gotten her back. I'm sure he'll calm down…eventually :)**

**Shinigami777: Yes, Danzo blew himself up and Kakashi did, very briefly, become Hokage though it was unofficial since Tsunade woke up**

**Sakura02: Box of Shame!**

**nemos: I actually just took the poll down on Friday. As for Emiko, she's going to learn some more abilities in a bit, but what they are, I won't reveal :). It's not an actual name website but I have a translation website that I go to which I believe gives the kanji. It's suteki(dot)nu(slash)translator It's the website I use to make up my jutsu names as well.**

**Anea: Wow, thank you so much :) That's indeed a huge compliment and I truly appreciate it. I hope you will continue to read and enjoy the story!**

**Kuroda Chiaki: No, Itachi did not come back to life in the manga. That's something I came up with.**

**Thank you: Azura Soul Reaver, katsekala, Kpop Princess Mei, cherry-888, NoMoreWishes, Card Captor Fiona, Cheetay, lovelyanimeangel, icyprincess1, XeniaKunoichi, Miharbi, Johnquelle, CuttlefishShiz, Usagi323, yuki-eevee, gaaraofthefunk13, Lunarfox's Silverdusk, itachisasuke, KakashiisWifey, Neo-Gama-Sanin, 6-PackYax, Lily, Shifuni, kunoichi1012, and Dana. Kay123 for your reviews!**

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"Sasuke-kun, lay down." Haruki whispered quietly to the wide awake child sitting up on his nap mat.

"I don't want to." Sasuke huffed out, crossing his arms stubbornly, trying his best to ignore his drooping eyes.

Haruki rolled her eyes as the little boy snuggled against her side. She scooped the little boy up and went over to her desk to sit at her seat with Sasuke curled up in her lap. "You know you're really spoiled, Sasuke-kun." She whispered as she kissed the youngest Uchiha's head.

Sasuke smiled as he snuggled against Haruki. "I know."

Haruki sighed as she rocked back and forth with Sasuke in her arms. "You can't keep doing this. You have to be a big boy and sleep on your mat like all the other children."

"Haruki-sensei, I can't sleep." A tiny Naruto whined as he padded over to Haruki's side. He curled up at Haruki's feet and immediately fell asleep.

Sasuke glared sleepily down at Naruto. He wiggled his shoe off and smirked when the shoe hit Naruto in the head. "Go back to your mat, Dobe."

Naruto's head shot up, glowering angrily at the Uchiha child. "You go back first, you big baby." He threw Sasuke's shoe back into said Uchiha's face, grinning as it smacked Sasuke in the face.

Haruki sighed. This was the norm every single naptime. "Boys, if you wake the others up, I'm going to have to put you in the Box of Shame."

"Sensei, those too are being troublesome again, aren't they?" Shikamaru yawned as he stretched and reluctantly sat up from his mat.

"You guys are so loud!" Kiba whined, rolling over on his mat and glaring at the two squabbling boys.

"Naruto, quit picking on Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed.

"Yeah!" Ino chimed in.

Hinata sat up, crying. "I just wanna sleep."

"Is it snack time yet?" Chouji asked.

Shino sat up silently and simply looked around.

"That's enough, you two!" Haruki smacked both boys upside their head. "You two are going in the Box of Shame!"

Mikoto bit back a laugh as she approached the school to pick Sasuke up. Her youngest son was glaring angrily at the other little boy in the cardboard box with him. "Same old, same old, Haruki?" Mikoto asked her friend.

Haruki sighed wearily. "Yeah. I'm going to have to find a new punishment for these two. The box doesn't seem to be working."

"Oh, Sasuke, you need to quit torturing Haruki." Mikoto said as she picked her son up from the box.

"Naruto started it!" Sasuke protested.

"Did not!" Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke as the other boy was led off by his mother. He sighed as he watched the other children being led home by their mothers and fathers. "Can I go home now, Haruki-sensei?" He asked.

Haruki knelt down beside the cardboard box. "You can. Or, you can come and have ramen with me."

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Okay!"

* * *

"Did you really put Sasu-chan and Naru-chan in a box?" Emiko asked, her eyes wide as she stared up at her mother.

Haruki giggled, smoothing Emiko's hair down. "Yes. I'm sure the box is still up at the school. Would you like to go see it tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" Emiko grinned. She let out a sudden gasp of pain and curled up in a tight ball.

"Emiko, baby, what's wrong?" Haruki asked, clearly alarmed.

"I don't feel good, Mommy." Emiko whimpered out. She began coughing violently. She covered her mouth, preventing the blood from spilling out onto the newly cleaned floors.

"Kakashi!" Haruki screamed as Emiko went ghost white and began trembling violently. "Kakashi, wake up!"

Emiko whimpered, her vision fading in and out. She could barely make out the concerned faces of her parents hovering over her. Finally, her entire world went black.

* * *

Emiko awoke to darkness. She looked around slowly, unsure of where she was. "Hello? Papa? Deidei? Danna? Where are you guys?" She tensed when she saw movement in the darkness. "Hello?"

She gasped as the wind around her suddenly began to pick up. It wasn't threatening, though. In fact, it was very warm and friendly. Emiko closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the wind against her skin. She blinked as the wind suddenly became a column of fire swirling around her. Again, it didn't hurt her and seemed more protective than anything else. Water replaced the fire, then lightning, earth, and wood.

"You…must…" A voice whispered from the darkness.

Everything disappeared. Emiko was falling, falling into the darkness. She opened her mouth and screamed.

"Emiko!"

Slowly, Emiko opened her eyes. She looked around slowly. The whole room was white. She looked over to her side. "Mommy?" Her voice cracked out. She attempted to sit up, wincing as pain shot up her body. She looked down and saw tubes running into her arms. "Mommy, what happened?"

Haruki smoothed Emiko's hair down. "You had another attack, Baby. Tsunade's having some tests run to see why your medicine isn't working anymore."

"Oh. Mommy, my throat hurts and I'm thirsty." Emiko whispered, flashes of her strange dream coming back to her.

"That's probably because you've been asleep for five days, Emiko." Haruki whispered.

"Haruki-sensei," Naruto stuck his head into the room. "Tsunade-baachan wants you to come talk to her. I'll stay with Emiko."

"I'll be back soon, Emiko." Haruki kissed Emiko's forehead and left the room. She frowned when she saw Tsunade down the hallway talking to Kakashi. She rushed over. "What's wrong, Tsunade?"

Tsunade frowned as she stared down at the file in her hands. "We ran some blood tests on Emiko."

Kakashi wrapped an arm around Haruki's shoulder. "Why isn't her medicine working anymore?"

"I…I really don't understand this myself." Tsunade muttered. "It just doesn't seem possible."

"What's wrong with my baby, Tsunade?" Haruki asked impatiently.

"Well, when we ran the blood test, we also did a DNA test, just for record purposes. The results we got back…it wasn't just Senju and Hatake DNA we found; there was Uchiha DNA too."


	80. Truth Revealed

**Yay, it's almost Halloween! I can't wait! The premiere of Walking Dead is coming on Halloween night!**

**Sakura02: Of course there will be more Box of Shame moments! Just because Naruto's all grown up now doesn't mean he doesn't need to go in the Box of Shame some more :)**

**Miss Pein: My tattoo is a rose with the stem in the shape of an open heart. One end of the stem has a rose in complete blossom while the other is partly opened. There are some thorns at the top by the open rose and then four leaf clovers going along the stem. I'm 21 :)**

**Fullmetal Epicness: I promise I will not give up on this story. I've put way too much time and effort in to give up on it now. **

**XeniaKunoichi: Nooo! Not the evil monkey army! Please, anything but them! XD**

**Sun Geisha: Um…It would be physically impossible for Sasuke or Itachi to, as you so eloquently put it, "screw" Emiko when they were two since she wasn't born until Itachi was 13 and Sasuke was 8 or so, aside from the fact that that's disgusting. I'm sure you were just joking though and didn't seriously think that was a possibility, though :)**

**foreverandalwasy13: Yay! I feel so special :)**

**Priestess-of-Jashin: No, Haruki didn't do anything with Itachi. She views him more as a little brother/good friend. She loves Kakashi way too much to ever even think about betraying him.**

**itachisasuke: Ah, sorry. I didn't answer because it's not yet time to reveal the answer to that :)**

**iceyxrain00: I think, in response to the Mary-Sue comment, it's hard to write about a child and not walk that very fine line. Children are, as a general rule, very innocent. I'll try and keep her from becoming too Mary-Sueish. As for her wind attacks, she only had the one when she was four. She got the other two when she was seven. Ah, I'm not sure about your equation since I'm not so good at math either. I'm glad you've been enjoying the story, though, and I hope you will continue to do so.**

**Thank you: narutofanhinatafan, Azura Soul Reaver, gaaraofthefunk13, elfendwindakachrno, Rakkii Seimei, rainbowdragongirl101, lovelyanimeangel, Mei-chan4 (nice name :)), Cheetay, vixena1, team vampress, CuttlefishShiz, shinigami777, Shifuni, icyprincess1, Dana. Kay123, Anaea, katsekala, Usagi323, Akatsuki-Hidan Blackhei, nemos, Yerashi9921, hyuuzumaki lover, siriuslover101, and Love in Snow for reviewing!**

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The breath rushed out of Haruki when Tsunade spoke. She looked wide eyed over at Kakashi who looked as equally as shocked as Haruki. Haruki was the one that finally broke the silence. "How…how is that possible?"

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples in frustration. "I'm not sure. We have a few theories but nothing concrete yet. As soon as we figure it out, I'll let you know. You realize what this means, though, don't you?"

Kakashi frowned, squeezing Haruki's shoulder comfortingly and holding her close to his side. "What?"

"The last time the Senju and Uchiha blood was one was with the Sage of Sixth Paths." Tsunade said softly. "She may have the potential for more than just wind jutsus."

"How will we know?" Haruki asked.

"The council would like to take her for a bit and test her." Tsunade said though her face showed clear disdain.

"No." Haruki's face was hard as she spoke. She looked over to Kakashi for support. "They aren't taking my baby away. She's been through enough the past few days without having to go off with strangers that see her as nothing more than an oddity, a tool for them to use. If we're going to test her, it will be with people she's comfortable and familiar with."

Kakashi nodded his head in agreement. "We'll talk to her, if that's all right with you, Hokage-sama."

"Of course." Tsunade answered. "She can be released today. Once you've decided on how you want to test Emiko, come see me."

Emiko perked up when Kakashi and Haruki walked in. She had been enthralled by Naruto's stories of his childhood and going to school. Her smile faltered when she saw the serious looks on her parents face. "What's wrong, Mommy? Daddy?"

"Should I leave?" Naruto asked nervously.

"No," Haruki said softly as she sat on the bed beside her daughter. "You can stay, Naruto. Emiko, you know you're a very special girl, don't you?"

Emiko nodded slowly. She snuggled into her mother's side and looked up at her. She could see the worry in her mother's face and how tensely her father was standing. "Yeah, 'Tachi tells me all the time."

Haruki smiled and kissed her daughter's head. "Well, he's right. You're more special than any of us ever thought was possible. Emiko, you have the potential to control all the different elements."

"I know." Emiko said. "That's what the shadow man told me."

"Who?" Kakashi asked, clearly alarmed.

"The shadow man." Emiko answered. "He's been coming and talking to me when I have my attacks. He tells me that it's okay, that I have very strong blood in me fighting. He told me I have something important to do but he won't tell me what it is."

Haruki looked over at Kakashi, the concern and worry evident in her face. She looked back at her daughter. "We want to test your abilities, Emiko. The council wanted to take you to do the testing…"

"No!" Emiko shouted, alarmed. She pulled herself from Haruki's arms and flung herself over to Naruto. "I don't wanna go with them! I don't like them!"

"Haruki-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, you aren't really going to let them take her, are you?" Naruto asked, pulling Emiko closer to him.

"Of course not!" Haruki held her arms open for Emiko to come back to. "I would never let them take Emiko against her will. Tsunade-sama has agreed to allow you to pick your teachers."

Emiko's eyes suddenly lit up. "Really? When do I get to pick them? Can Mommy and Daddy and 'Tachi train me?"

Haruki smiled at Emiko's excited eyes. "Of course your father, myself, and Itachi will love to train you. We'll have to figure the others out when you're feeling better. Tsunade-sama said you can come home with us this afternoon if you're feeling up to it."

"Can we go now?" Emiko asked. "I hate hospitals. They smell funny."

"Sure." Kakashi said. "Your mother and I will get your release papers and then we'll be back for you."

Emiko continued smiling until both her parents disappeared. She turned back to Naruto. "See? I won't get in your way. I want to help you stop Sasu-chan."

Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know, Emiko. If anything happens to you, you're mom and dad will kill me."

"But you're planning to die anyways so what would it matter?" Emiko argued. "You're not the only one that loves Sasu-chan, you know. You're not the only one that wants to beat Madara."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest when Kakashi and Haruki walked back in. He quickly put on a smile and ruffled Emiko's hair. "I'll see you later."

Emiko stuck her tongue out after him. "Mommy, can we go see 'Tachi? I bet he's really lonely right now."

Haruki rolled her eyes when she saw Kakashi tense up. She smiled and helped Emiko out of her hospital gown and into a regular shirt and pants. "Of course. We need to go help him clean up the Uchiha compound anyways."

Emiko made a face. "I hate cleaning."

"If you help, we'll get ramen and ice cream afterwards." Haruki giggled at Emiko's excited eyes.

Emiko leapt from her hospital bed and ran out the door. "Let's go clean!"


	81. Spring Cleaning

**fanfSakura02: Uh, yeah, I wouldn't want to be stuck with the job of cleaning that place up. **

**Xenia Kunoichi: Lol, try not to think too hard on it, since it will be quite a while before all the answers are revealed :)**

**Fullmetal Epicness: I think, though, they've also learned that if Emiko doesn't want to talk about something, she isn't going to. They have to ask her about him in a rather roundabout way.**

**hyuuzumaki lover: He's not living there willingly. It's part of his punishment by the council. Not only is he constantly tailed by Anbu wherever he goes, he is also forced to live in the place where he killed his family.**

**Foreverandalways13: see the answer to the review above :)**

**hikari no mikomi: Well, the original Sage of Six Paths was the father of the founders of the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan so I don't think she'd need any other bloodlines. As for the straying from the storyline, it's going to happen more later on, but I do think have Itachi actually be alive and returning to Konoha is a pretty big change. I'm so glad you like the story though :)**

**itachisasuke: No, this is the first time I've mentioned the 'Shadow Man'.**

**Thanks: elfenwindakachrno, Azura Soul Reaver, Akatsuki-Hidan Blackhei, yerashi9921, shinigami777, CuttlefishShiz, Cheetay, Shifuni, Dana. Kay123, Priestess-of-Jashin, narutofanhinatafan, icyprincess1, Koreankimchi, gaaraofthefunk13, Love in the Snow, halliday'n'uchiha 4ever, katsekala, Kpop Princess Mei, Usagi323, xOxO Lost Angel OxOx, nemos, and Mirunique for reviewing.**

**Over 1500 reviews! I never thought this story would be so popular. You guys are awesome!**

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Emiko hummed happily as she walked between her mother and father, clutching both of their hands tightly. She still felt slightly weak in the legs since she hadn't used them for five days but she did her best to shake it off, excited to get to see Itachi again. She blinked as they were stopped in front of the Uchiha compound by two Anbu.

"We have permission from Hokage-sama to be here." Kakashi said, procuring a scroll from his back pocket.

The Anbu looked it over before nodding and allowing the three to pass.

"Mommy, why are they making 'Tachi stay here?" Emiko asked as they walked through the eerily quiet streets of the Uchiha compound.

Haruki sighed. "The council made it one of their rules in order for Itachi to remain here. They see it as a fitting punishment for him to have to live where he committed his greatest sin."

"That's not fair." Emiko huffed out. "They're the reason he did it. I hate them."

"Nobody else knows that, though, Emiko." Haruki said patiently.

"Nor will they ever." Itachi said, appearing out of one of the houses. He smiled as Emiko rushed over and hugged him. "How are you feeling?"

Emiko smiled up at Itachi. "Good. Why can't we tell everyone that it wasn't your fault? It's not fair that everyone thinks you're a bad person."

Itachi nodded to Kakashi and Haruki, leading the little family into the house he had once lived in with his father, mother, and little brother. "It would destroy the people's trust in the council. The deaths of all the Uchiha would be in vain. It is for the best that they remain ignorant."

"I still don't think it's fair." Emiko wrinkled her nose before letting out a series of sneezes.

"Life isn't fair, Emiko." Itachi answered, trying not to laugh as Emiko continued sneezing.

Haruki looked around the house sadly, gently running her hand along the stair banister and the furniture scattered around. "You know you don't have to stay in this house, Itachi. You can use one of the others."

Itachi shook his head, finally pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket for Emiko as the poor girl continued sneezing. "I want to stay here."

"Well," Kakashi finally said, breaking the silence. "I suppose we should get to work then. We've still got to find testers for Emiko."

"Testers?" Itachi asked, raising an eyebrow. "For what?"

Emiko's eyes lit up while Haruki busied herself with pulling out cleaning supplies she had brought in a bag. "I've got Uchiha blood in me too, 'Tachi! So, Tsunade-neechan thinks I might be able to control lots of different elements. She wants me to get tested to see if I can and I get to pick the people! 'Tachi, will you help me with fire jutsus?"

Itachi looked over in alarm at Haruki and Kakashi. "How is that possible?"

Kakashi shrugged. "We're not sure. Tsunade has a few theories but she didn't share them with us."

Itachi frowned as Emiko looked up at him hopefully. He looked back at the girl's father. "Could it possibly be from your eye?"

Kakashi subconsciously brought a hand up to where his forehead protector hid his Uchiha eye. He hadn't thought of that possibility. "How would that be possible?"

Haruki straightened up as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "They always say that when one does an organ transfer, a part of the original person remains with that organ. It could be that a part of Obito was still attached to the eye and that that mixed with your blood, Kakashi." She went over to Emiko and pulled Emiko's hair back into pigtails.

"That could be true…" Kakashi said thoughtfully.

"Will you teach me, 'Tachi?" Emiko repeated her question.

"It won't do any good to dwell on the problem." Itachi said to Kakashi. "All that matters is helping Emiko through this. And yes, Emiko, I will teach you."

"Hooray!" Emiko grinned. "'Tachi is gonna teach me how to use fire, Mommy will help me with wind, and Daddy will teach me lightning!"

"And earth." Kakashi added.

Haruki smiled as she tried to calm Emiko down. "Now, we just need to find a water teacher and a wood teacher."

"Yamato will help her with wood." Kakashi said. "Though, I seriously doubt she'll be able to use it."

"We'll never know until we try." Haruki said. "Now then, let's clean this place up! Emiko, you're in charge of cleaning the floors."

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"Emiko, you're going to hurt yourself!" Haruki yelped as Emiko slid by on the slick floors. She sighed and went back to her task of cleaning the windows. "She gets it from you, you know." She teased Kakashi whom was busy repairing a broken doorway.

Kakashi grinned over at Haruki. "No, I'm fairly certain she gets it from her Senju side."

Emiko giggled as her parents continued playfully arguing with each other. Emiko looked down at the floors and was proud at how much she'd made them shine. Deciding she had earned a break, Emiko slipped away to explore the house. She could hear Itachi in the back, fixing the long neglected back yard. Going further into the house, Emiko came to a hallway lined with doors. Deciding to explore, Emiko opened the first door she came to.

The room had obviously belonged to a little boy. There were still toys scattered around the floor, dust seeming to meld them to the floor. Slowly, Emiko stepped into the room. She recognized the room, even though she'd only been a baby the last time she'd been in it. She knelt beside the bed and rested her head on the dusty bedspread. She closed her eyes and let out a sad sigh. "Sasu-chan…"

"You shouldn't be in here." Itachi said softly, slipping in and kneeling beside Emiko. He pulled Emiko away from the bed and held her in his lap.

"Let's clean his room." Emiko whispered out. "So that way, when Sasu-chan comes home, his room will be ready for him."

Itachi sighed. "All right. And then, we'll go get ramen."

"I want a really big bowl!" Emiko proclaimed, following Itachi out of the room to retrieve the cleaning supplies. "Can we get Naru-chan too? He loves ramen, you know."

"No. Really?" Itachi chuckled as Emiko nodded. "We'll talk to your mother."

"Mommy, can Naru-chan come get ramen with us!" Emiko shouted, running heedlessly down the still slippery hallway.

"Emiko, be careful!" Haruki flinched as Emiko slipped and slid face first into a wall.

"I'm okay!" Emiko shouted.


	82. Yamato

**Ahhh! I've been gone forever! Finals are over now and it's Christmas Break so hopefully updates will be more frequent now! Also, this January, there will be two new baby stories! Look for them!**

**Sakura02: Lol, when I wrote her running into the wall, I just thought of me drunk :P**

**hikari no mikomi: Yes, when Nagato attacked, pretty much the whole village. Yes, my life is very hectic but I love it that way. I hate having absolutely nothing to do. Thank you so much for the super long review :)**

**Mirunique: School is actually a huge part of my life. That's why I didn't update any of my stories for close to a month. School comes before everything else for me.**

**foreverandalways13: Hmmm, I hadn't thought about her having a sharingan…I suppose there would be the possibility since she has Uchiha blood.**

**XeniaKunoichi: If I told you, yes, I know what I'm doing, would you believe me? XD**

**Anemos: More, he's staying there because the council ordered him to but it is also due to his guilty feelings. Sorry about not spelling your name correctly. I was just going off of what it said you were logged in as. I will correct for the future, though :)**

**7: Wow, thanks so much for the compliment :) If I were writing Naruto, it would've ended a while ago.**

**Mitzzi: I probably should've done a scene with him going into Konoha. They kind of snuck him in so the only ones that know he's there are the group that came back from the fight with Sasuke. He's not allowed to leave the Uchiha Compound without Anbu guards so that's probably why he hasn't been attacked. **

**Thanks: narutofanhinatafan, InsaneArtist96, Miss Pein, Azura Soul Reaver, Shifuni, katsekala, Fullmetal Epicness, hyuuzumaki lover, Usagi323, Cheetay, icyprincess1, JaneWolf, gaaraofthefunk13, shinigami777, Priestess-of-Jashin, CuttlefishShiz, Chryeilas, BlueDarknessIceHeart, black-and-white-angel, Kcgirl94, and KaKashiisWifey for reviewing!**

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"Mommy, my tummy hurts." Emiko whined pitifully. She lay curled up in a tight ball in the middle of her parents bed.

Haruki sighed as she gently ran a hand through Emiko's messy hair. "I told you not to get into an eating contest with Naruto." She couldn't help cracking a small smile as she remembered Emiko and Naruto's rather intense ramen eating battle. Her poor daughter had only been able to pack away seven bowls before she finally had to give up. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"

Emiko carefully uncurled herself, the pain in her stomach slowly beginning to subside. She rolled onto her back and looked up into her mother's chocolate eyes. "Mommy, why'd you give me that scroll? Did you know that I'd be able to control more elements than just wind?"

Haruki's hand stilled briefly. "I didn't. I just…had a feeling I should give you the scroll."

"I can't learn wood on my own, though." Emiko sighed. "And I still need a water teacher." She furrowed her brows in deep thought, a scowl on her face.

"Don't give yourself wrinkles." Haruki scolded playfully. "You're too little to worry so much." When Emiko still didn't smile, Haruki sighed. "I guess I've got no choice."

Before Emiko could ask what her mother meant, she let out a squeal of laughter as Haruki began tickling her stomach. "No, Mommy, stop!"

Kakashi came into the room, leaning casually against the doorframe. He chuckled as he daughter continued howling with laughter while Haruki continued tickling her mercilessly.

"Daddy, save me!" Emiko shouted, reaching pitifully out towards Kakashi.

"Well, I can't just ignore my poor baby's cry for help." Kakashi sauntered over. He grabbed Haruki around her waist and hoisted her off the bed.

"Kakashi, put me down!" Haruki shrieked.

Emiko sat up in the bed and laughed as Kakashi began swinging Haruki around the room. "Hey, Daddy, where are we going to find me a wood teacher and a water teacher?"

Kakashi put Haruki down on the ground but kept a firm grip on Haruki's waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder, the smile never leaving his face. "I actually have the perfect candidate for your teacher."

Emiko perked up, scooting over to the edge of the bed. She kicked her legs over the side of the bed, looking at her father curiously. "Who? Do I know them?"

"You do. In fact, he should be here shortly to talk to you." Kakashi answered. "Now, why don't you go take a bath before our guest gets here."

Emiko frowned, reluctantly hopping off the bed. She looked suspiciously at her parents. "No making babies while I'm gone." She skipped out of the room, ignoring Haruki's embarrassed squeak and Kakashi's laughter. She went into the bathroom to find there was already a bubble bath waiting for her. She quickly stripped and hopped into the warm water. She stared blankly up at the ceiling, watching the steam rise up.

"Mama, are you okay, wherever you are?" Emiko whispered. "Please be okay…"

"Emiko, our guest is here." Haruki said through the door.

"Okay!" Emiko quickly cleaned off and hopped out. She dried off with her favorite red fluffy towel before putting on the fresh clothes Kakashi had left for her. She combed out her tangled hair before skipping out of the bathroom. Her eyes widened when she saw the man sitting on her family's couch. "Yamato!"

Yamato smiled as Emiko rushed over and hugged him. "Hello, Emiko. I trust you've been well."

"Are you going to be my teacher, Yamato?" Emiko asked.

"Well, your father would like for me to test you to see if you have the ability to use the wood and water elements." Yamato said slowly. "I don't want you to get your hopes up, Emiko. I'm the only one left alive that can use the wood release and before me it was only the First Hokage."

"And Danzo." Emiko added, remembering the fight between Danzo and Sasuke. "I don't care. I want to try. Please, Yamato. I want to be able to protect everyone. I don't wanna lose anyone else."

Yamato smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Emiko's head. "Of course I'll teach you, Emiko. It'll be an honor to teach Kakashi-senpai's daughter."

Haruki smiled as she watched how Emiko's eyes lit up with sheer excitement. She frowned as she heard a knock at the door. Cautiously, she opened the door only to find an Anbu standing there. "Yes?"

"The council would like a word with you and Kakashi, Haruki." The Anbu said shortly before disappearing.

"Kakashi, we can't just leave Emiko here alone." Haruki said after telling Kakashi what had just happened.

Yamato looked up from Emiko talking to him. "I can stay with her, Haruki-senpai."

"Are you sure?" Haruki asked. "It won't be any trouble?"

Yamato waved his hand dismissively. "Of course not. Go see what the council wants. I'll stay here with Emiko."

Haruki kissed Emiko goodbye, making her daughter promise to behave for Yamato and go to bed when he told her to. Kakashi did the same before following Haruki out of the apartment.

"I don't like them." Emiko said as soon as the door closed. "The council." She added when she saw Yamato's startled look.

"They're just doing their jobs, Emiko." Yamato said softly.

"I don't care." Emiko snapped. "It's their fault that 'Tachi had to kill his family. It's their fault that Sasuke is the way he is now. It's their fault…" She blinked as Yamato placed a hand gently on her head.

Yamato smiled gently at the little girl. "It's okay. Now, I think it's time for you to go to bed."

"Will you read me a story?" Emiko asked as she allowed Yamato to take her hand and lead her to her room.

"Sure."

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"What?" Haruki could barely keep her hands from trembling in anger. She looked in shock between the two elder council members.

Koharu looked coldly at Haruki. "I don't like repeating myself, Haruki. By teaching Emiko how to control all the elements, you are possibly playing right into Madara's hands. You said yourself you don't know what he wants her for. To make matters worst, she's far too attached to the Uchiha boy. How can we be certain she won't betray Konoha to follow him?"

"My daughter would never betray Konoha!" Haruki snapped.

"Haruki, calm down." Kakashi said softly, placing a hand on Haruki's shoulder. "She is right, though; Emiko would never betray Konoha. She loves everyone here."

Homura straightened in his seat. "Nevertheless, should we feel that there is even the most remote possibility that she will betray us, she will be eliminated."


	83. First Day of Training

**Hello and Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a fabulous holiday season! I'm super excited because I finally finished the second draft of my novel! Two drafts down, two more to go!**

**As I said last update, there will be two new baby stories starting this month that will be updated on Saturdays. This week's new baby is will be in the series…Hetalia! Look for it this Saturday!**

**Sakura02: Indeed, we should. Yeah, the spell check on the iphone can be a pain in the ass sometimes. **

**IAmABoredGirlWithNothingToDo: Lol, nope, I'm not dead. The holiday season is just really hectic and I didn't have much time to write on the fanfics :)**

**yerashi9921: Actually, neither of them have died quite yet. Konan probably will at some point in the fillers and Emiko will realize it, but Kisame won't die for a little longer.**

**hikari no mikomi: Hmmm, I'm actually not sure how to answer that question. I do think some of it may come from personal experience, but I think that happens on a very subconscious level. I do still try and keep the characters as in character as possible but it is difficult since there is now a seven year old child there. I hope that kind of answered your question :) **

**Tsuyoshi95: I hated Sasuke when he first showed up in Naruto, then I liked him, then I hated him when he betrayed Konoha, then I liked him again 'cause he was kind of bad ass, and now, I hate him again because he is a Super Douche :)**

**Anemos: I'm still trying to figure out how exactly Tsunade and Haruki are related. I'm going to have to make a family tree to figure it out. You don't need to worry about ever troubling me :) You are a wonderful reviewer and I love always getting your reviews.**

**Thank you: Azura Soul Reaver, icyprincess1, fedwvu, Summer. ice7, hyuuzumaki lover, foverandalways13, Card Captor Fiona, Jashinistgirl1, shinigami777, Waitingangelofdeath, Jestie Uchiha, Shifuni, gaaraofthefunk13, narutosonlyfriend, Meish, halliday'n'uchiha 4ever, katsekala, InsaneArtist96, narutofanhinatafan, Dana. Kay123, Mirunique (Happy Late Birthday!), Xenia Kunoichi, nique1210, CuttlefishShiz, 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, bluejay091791, and TheGirlTypingThisOut. Duh for your reviews!**

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Kakashi stood patiently in one of the many training fields on the opposite side of his nervous looking daughter. He smiled reassuringly at Emiko. "Don't worry, Emiko. We're just doing a small test today, nothing too serious."

Emiko nodded, her fists bunching up into her loose training pants. "You aren't going to electrocute me, are you, Daddy?"

"No, nothing like that." Kakashi approached his daughter. He knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. "It's okay, Emiko. There's nothing for you to be scared of."

"If I mess up, I'm going to be letting everyone down." Emiko said softly, squeezing Kakashi's hand tightly.

Kakashi sighed. He pulled Emiko into a brief hug. "None of that now. I'm going to show you some hand signs and I want you to copy them exactly."

Emiko nodded as her father moved a few steps back. She watched intently as he showed her the hand signs a few times, each time producing a small orb of sparkling lightning. Carefully, Emiko mimicked them. She pouted when nothing happened. She tried again and again. Still, nothing happened. She continued trying well after the morning had worn out and the afternoon sun was beginning to sink. She looked up at Kakashi, tears welling in her eyes. "I can't do it, Daddy."

"It's okay." Kakashi soothed. He went back over to Emiko and placed his hands over hers, stopping her from performing the hand signs. "It was only a theory that you could do more than one nature manipulation."

"I let everyone down." Emiko sniffled. "We aren't going to be able to save Sasu-chan or stop Orochimaru and Madara. I'm a failure." She blinked as Kakashi trapped her face between his hands, her crying turning into hiccups.

"I told you, there will be no talking like that." Kakashi said firmly. "You haven't let anyone down. Now, why don't we go home and see what Mommy made for dinner?" He sighed as Emiko continued sniffling, though her tears had at least stopped. "Do you want a piggy back ride?"

Emiko nodded rapidly, giving a shaky smile as she climbed onto her father's back. "Can I still beat up Orochimaru and Madara?"

Kakashi chuckled as they walked home. "Of course." The two walked through the village towards their small apartment. Kakashi put Emiko down when they reached the building and raced her up the stairs.

"Mommy, we're home!" Emiko shouted as she burst through the door. She ran over and hugged her mother.

Haruki smiled and patted Emiko's head. "Go take a bath, Emiko. Dinner will be ready in a moment." As soon as Emiko had left the room, Haruki turned her attention to Kakashi. "Well?"

Kakashi sighed and shook his head. "We were out there all day and not even a spark. It was just a theory, though."

"But what about the shadow man she was talking about?" Haruki asked.

"Mommy, help me wash my hair!" Emiko shouted from the bathroom.

After Emiko's bath, the little family ate dinner. Emiko was fairly silent through it all, only talking when either Haruki or Kakashi spoke directly to her. Emiko was ready for bed almost as soon as dinner was finished.

After Haruki and Kakashi had both tucked her in and kissed her goodnight, Emiko laid awake in her bed for a long time, thinking. The shadow man had told her she had to learn how to use all the nature elements. She stared blankly up at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up. She looked at her hands thoughtfully. She heard her parents going to bed in their own room, the sound of the wind hitting her window, and a dog howling off in the distance. She stared at her hands for a moment longer before performing the hand signs Kakashi had shown her…

She felt a jolt travel down her arms and into her hands. That hadn't happened the whole day. Emiko concentrated harder, repeating the hands signs over and over. The jolt turned into a constant tingle running through only her arms at first and then her whole body. It felt like the time she had stuck her fingers in an electrical socket when she had still been with the Akatsuki, only slightly different. That time, it had been very painful and she had cried for a good hour while Sasori chastised her and put aloe vera on her red fingers. Now, it felt more natural, no pain at all.

Haruki jolted out of her sleep when she heard a scream from Emiko's room. She and Kakashi both leapt out of bed with kunai in their hands before rushing towards Emiko's room. Haruki through Emiko's door open. "What's wrong, Emiko?"

Emiko grinned sheepishly up at her parents. Her cheeks were flushed red and her hands were trembling. "Sorry, Mommy, Daddy. I just got really excited."

Haruki and Kakashi looked at each other before lowering their weapons. "About?" Kakashi asked.

"Look!" Emiko performed the hand signs. At first, nothing happened. Then, a tiny orb of electricity appeared in her open palm. She held it up proudly to her parents. "I can control lightning!"


	84. Fire

**School starts back tomorrow! I don't think I'm ready!**

**foreverandalways13: He's sort of kind of not really dead? He's inside Kabuto right now.**

**Sakura02: Yup, training with Itachi this chapter! Well, Haruki does sometimes act a bit childish :P**

**yerashi9921: I'm not sure which ones Emiko will meet since I'm not sure she'll be at that fight**

**Shy Rose24: Hmmm, I really like Germany from Hetalia, but that could be due to the fact that I've got German blood in me. I do love America too, though :)**

**Peridot0814: Aw, thanks :) If only my little kindergarteners here appreciated anime and manga as much as you! Ah well, such is life :) I hope you will continue to enjoy the story!**

**Anemos: Yeah, I don't think Kakashi will teach Emiko Chidori just because of what all happened with Sasuke. If you guessed that Itachi was her next teacher, you were right :)**

**Thanks: hyuuzumaki lover, Chaney2250, halliday'n'inuzuka 4ever, icyprincess1, AkaneSukishima, Ray-nee-chan, Azura Soul Reaver, narutofanhinatafan, katsekala, CuttlefishShiz, InsaneArtist96, Jestie Uchiha, Akatsuki-Hidan Blackhei, Dana. Kay123, Shifuni, XeniaKunoichi, Priestess-of-Jashin, AvengedVeralin, FallenBleedingAngel, narutosonlyfriend, and distantdreamer104 for reviewing!**

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"'Tachi, are you home?" Emiko peered around the entryway to the Uchiha home. She didn't hear anything save for the wind rustling the trees. Shrugging, Emiko entered the house and slipped her shoes off before going off to find Itachi. She searched everywhere and couldn't find him. Finally, she looked outside and found him sitting in the backyard. "'Tachi?"

Itachi looked up, inclining his head towards Emiko. "How'd it go yesterday?" He cracked a small smile as Emiko ran over to him and hugged him tightly.

Emiko's eyes lit up. "I did it! I can control lightning! It took forever, though! It wasn't like learning wind."

Itachi nodded as he stood up. "You may have a more difficult time with some nature elements over others. Fire may prove to be difficult for you. Are you prepared to train harder than you have before? I won't go easy on you."

"I'm ready!" Emiko exclaimed. She mimicked the stance that Itachi went into and began copying the hand signs he showed her, much like she had done with Kakashi the other day. The training went the same as it had the day before as well. Emiko couldn't even blow a smoke ring. She collapsed onto the ground in frustration as the sunset.

Itachi sighed and knelt in front of Emiko. "It's okay, Emiko. These things take time."

"It didn't for you." Emiko said stubbornly. "You're a genius. I bet Sasuke didn't have a hard time at all either."

Itachi actually chuckled. He ruffled Emiko's hair. "That's not true. It took Sasuke forever just to blow a smoke ring. These things take time. You just have to be patient. Now, I think it's time for you to head home. I'll call your mother to come get you." He stood to go into the house but was stopped by Emiko grabbing his hand.

"Can I stay with you?" Emiko asked softly. "I don't get to see you anymore."

Itachi sighed, helping Emiko stand up. "Let me call your mother and we'll see."

Emiko sat in the small kitchen, straining to hear Itachi's conversation with her mother. She looked expectantly at Itachi as he came into the kitchen and began rummaging through the fridge. "Can I stay?"

"Your mother said it was fine." Itachi said as he began pulling random things out.

"'Tachi, what are you doing?" Emiko asked, raising an eyebrow as Itachi pulled out ketchup, a lemon, cheese, and butter.

Itachi looked up at Emiko blankly. "I was going to make spaghetti. You like spaghetti, don't you?"

Emiko frowned. "'Tachi, are you going blind?" When Itachi didn't say anything, Emiko went over to him and tugged on his hand until he knelt down in front of her. "Does Mommy know?"

"Yes, your mother is aware that my vision is still fading." He reached out touched Emiko's face. "Even now, I can barely see you. It's a shame too. I wanted to see you all grown up."

"You will!" Emiko said stubbornly. "I'll find a way to fix your eyes, 'Tachi! And Sasu-chan's too! I won't either of you lose your sight. Once we beat Madara, I'll find a way to save both of you. Now, you go sit and I'll make spaghetti."

Itachi wasn't sure whether to be perturbed or laugh at the fact that a seven year old had just shooed him away. He closed his eyes and simply listened as Emiko puttered around the kitchen. "You're growing up so fast. I remember when you were still a little baby and we had to fight you just to potty train you."

Emiko puffed her cheeks out as she poured the spaghetti noodles into the boiling water. "I was scared Orochimaru was going to get me."

"You used to depend on me and the others so much." Itachi said softly. "Now, you're taking care of me and becoming your own person. I'm so sorry, Emiko."

Emiko stared at the noodles as they floated around in the water. "For what?"

"You've had to grow up so fast. You've had to see things you shouldn't have to have seen." Itachi answered softly.

Emiko was quiet for a moment. "It's okay. I'm not the only one that's had to grow up fast. Mommy, Daddy, Naru-chan, Sasu-chan…lots of others have had to grow up before they should have. It comes with us being ninja, right?" She asked, smiling over at Itachi.

Itachi smiled sadly and nodded. "I suppose so."

For the next week, Emiko stayed at the Uchiha compound with Itachi. She refused to leave until she had learned how to manipulate fire. When Itachi wasn't teaching her the hand signs to summon fire, he helped her with her kunai and shuriken skills. On her fourth day of training, Emiko blew a smoke ring. She was so excited, she tackled Itachi to the ground, hugging the Uchiha tightly.

Having Emiko around was rather nice for Itachi. It felt almost like when the Akatsuki had been whole and Emiko had just been a small baby. She followed him virtually everywhere and slept in his room on a little pallet beside his bed. She had refused to let him give up his bed for her and she didn't want to sleep in Sasuke's room.

The week with Emiko also made Itachi realize something; Emiko was growing up. She no longer depended on him like she had before. She cooked most of the meals since it didn't seem in the best interest of their health for Itachi to cook. She was still stubborn like she had always been but now that stubbornness was aimed at training to become stronger in order to protect and save her family, not like when she had been little and stubbornly refused to give Hidan his scythe back because she didn't like the strange noises he made while performing his rituals.

At the same time, she was still quite the child. If she didn't get enough sleep, she was grumpy the whole day. When training didn't go as well as she had hoped, she pouted and once even came close to throwing a fit (this being on the day that she hadn't slept enough). He'd sometimes wake up during the night and catch her sneaking into Sasuke's room and just sitting in the middle of the bed. He would listen to her cry for his little brother. He knew she was still clinging to the hope that Sasuke could be saved, that he would come back to Konoha and everything would be all right again. She was still a child in many ways.

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"Emiko!"

Emiko spun around to find Naruto rushing towards her. She smiled and waved at him. "Hi, Naru-chan!"

Naruto stopped in front of her, grinning. "Where have you been for the past week? I went over the other night for dinner and Haruki-sensei said you were at the Uchiha compound."

Emiko nodded. "I've been training with 'Tachi all week. I've learned lightning and now I can even use fire!"

"That's so cool! Show me!"

Emiko looked nervously at the ground. "I'm still learning how to control it…"

Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "It'll be fine. Come on, I wanna see."

"Okay." Emiko performed the hand signs. She frowned at first when it seemed nothing happened. "I thought I did them right…" She blinked as Naruto suddenly began screaming. Emiko looked up from the ground only to see Naruto running frantically around, the seat of his pants on fire. Her eyes lit up and she grinned. "I did it!"

"That's great, Emiko, really it is, but could you help me out here?" Naruto wailed.

Haruki looked out the window to see what all the commotion was. She smiled and looked over at Kakashi's whom was looking at her rather curiously. "She did it."

Kakashi went over and hugged Haruki from behind. "You don't seem very happy about it."

Haruki shrugged, watching as Emiko screamed at Naruto to stop, drop, and roll. "I am happy…I think. I don't want the council using her. I won't let her be used by anybody. Not by Madara, not by Orochimaru, and not by the council."

"Nobody's going to use her." Kakashi assured. "We'll protect her, together this time."

Haruki smiled and nodded. She laughed as Emiko yanked Naruto's pants off the rolling ninja and began beating them on the ground. She blinked as she suddenly felt Kakashi's warmth leave her. "Kakashi, where are you going?"

Kakashi smiled eerily through his mask as he pulled a kunai out of his pouch. "I'm just going to go…help Naruto out."

Haruki stood there for a moment. The sound of the door slamming shut snapped her out of her stupor. She quickly rushed after the seething ninja. "Kakashi, she took his pants off! Not the other way around!"


	85. Earth

**Have any of you heard the song Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri? It makes me think of poor little Emiko.**

**yerashi9921: I'm not sure yet if she's going to meet any of the resurrected Akatsuki members.**

**Sakura02: Yes…I believe his sharingan is still activated…we'll go with that. Who says Haruki ever told Kakashi where Emiko was staying :P**

**BlackRosario: Lol, are you thinking of Inari?**

**Anemos: Yes, Emiko's birthday is on the publication day. Haruki was simply informing Kakashi that Naruto had not pulled his pants off in front of Emiko, but that Emiko herself had done it. As for the heightened senses, I don't think it's true, at least, not to the extent that it gets exaggerated in media. I actually have a really good friend that is blind and I remember asking her that when we were younger and she told me no. I don't think Sasuke is aware of the resurrected people otherwise I'm sure he'd be furious, especially with them using Itachi's body.**

**Thanks: Azura Soul Reaver, narutofanhinatafan, Shifuni, halliday'n'inuzuka 4ever, Peridot0814, Mirunique, katsekala, icyprincess1, Hyuuzumaki lover, Ms. Taken-Id, AkatsukiCrush, narutosonlyfriend, Senna-Namikaze, 4000kills, KICKASS, moonclaw14, storyteller-666, CuttlefishShiz, ToraKU, Dana. Kay123, Shy Rose24, gaaraofthefunk13, XeniaKunoichi, Jezzi1996, Cheetay, AkatsukiMemberShadow, Avacii, and FireFox Vixen for reviewing!**

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"I did it!" Emiko cheered. She grinned across the field at Kakashi. "Did you see that, Daddy?"

Kakashi nodded approvingly. He and Emiko had been working on her earth skills for close to a month now. It had taken Emiko a while, but she was finally beginning to get the hang of it. Now, Emiko was standing proudly a ways away from Kakashi, grinning at the rock wall she had created right next to herself.

Haruki watched from the line of trees, smiling at how proud Emiko was of herself. She didn't even look over her shoulder when she heard someone softly approaching. "Is there something you need, Koharu?" Haruki asked, trying to keep the coldness out of her voice.

The old councilwoman came to stand beside Haruki. She watched as Haruki excitedly tackled Kakashi to the ground. "No. I merely came to see how her training was coming along. Has she said anything…troubling?"

"No." Haruki snapped, unable to contain her anger. "I've already told you and Homura; my daughter is not a traitor."

"Did she not betray the Akatsuki, whom had raised her?" Koharu asked coolly.

Haruki's hands trembled. This woman infuriated her almost as much as Madara and Orochimaru. "That was different. She saw Madara for what he was."

"Do you think she'd be here if it weren't for the other Akatsuki members dying?" Koharu asked, seemingly unfazed by Haruki's anger. "We'll continue to keep an eye on her." With that, Koharu spun on her heels and left.

"Mommy, what are you doing over here?" Emiko asked, startling Haruki from her anger. She blinked as Haruki suddenly hugged her tightly. "Mommy, what's wrong?"

Haruki shook her head and simply held Emiko closer. "Nothing…nothing at all. Emiko, why don't you go find Sakura and ask her if she can watch you for a bit. Tell her I'll pay her back."

Emiko frowned, looking thoughtfully up at her mother. She knew something was bothering her mother, but, much like herself, if her mother didn't want to talk about something, she wasn't going to say anything. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Okay, Mommy. Bye, Daddy." She gave Kakashi a kiss as well before running off to go find Sakura.

"Haruki, what's wrong?" Kakashi asked as soon as Emiko was out of earshot.

Haruki bit the inside of her cheek. "Koharu was here. She still thinks Emiko will betray us. I'm worried they might hurt her."

Kakashi sighed, wrapping Haruki in his arms. "She'll be fine. They won't do anything rash, especially not with Tsunade keeping an eye on them."

"I don't want to lose my family." Haruki sighed out, hugging Kakashi back. She had just gotten her family back and she'd be damned if she let anyone take it away.

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"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura smiled as Emiko ran over to her and hugged her arm. "Hey, Emiko. How's your training going?"

Emiko grinned up at the pinkette. "Awesome! I've learned lightning, fire, and earth so far! Mommy says Yamato is going to train me in water next week!"

"Speaking of her, where's Haruki-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Mommy's upset about something, but she doesn't want me to know so she told me to find you and to ask you to watch me. She said she'd pay you back."

Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "I'll watch you, free of charge. Only because you're so cute." She took Emiko's hand and the two began leisurely walking down the street. The two talked about random, inconsequential things. Sakura smiled as Emiko babbled excitedly about having her mother and father together and getting to see Itachi almost everyday.

"And then, the shadow man…" Emiko quickly clamped her mouth shut and looked away from Sakura's curious gaze.

"Who's the shadow man?" Sakura asked, pulling the two to a stop. When Emiko didn't answer, Sakura knelt in front of the girl. "Hey, Emiko, who is the shadow man? Is it Madara or Orochimaru?"

Emiko rapidly shook her head. "No! The shadow man is really nice. He's kind of quiet and really serious, but he's nice! He's the one that told me I could learn all the nature elements. Sakura-chan, let's go get ice cream!"

Sakura sighed as Emiko tugged her along. The girl was stubborn, always had been, and, most likely, always would be. If she didn't want to go into anymore detail about the shadow man, there was no way Sakura could force her to do otherwise.

"Hey, what are you two doing?" Ino poked her head out of her family's florist shop.

"We're going to go get ice cream." Emiko answered. "Want to come?"

Ino poked her head back into the shop, shouted something at someone, and then stepped out of the shop. "Sure. We should go shopping afterwards. I've always wanted to play dress up with Emiko."

Emiko whined as Ino took her other hand. "You better buy me ice cream then."

Along their way to the ice cream shop, the three girls bumped into Hinata and TenTen. Emiko immediately insisted the two girls join them as well. The little group made their way through Konoha. Sakura didn't bring the shadow man up again since Emiko seemed rather happy.

As the little group sat around a small table eating their ice cream, Ino was the first to speak. "So, Emiko, how many women were in Akatsuki?"

Emiko paused in licking her mint chocolate chip ice cream cone. "Just one. Mama could kick all the guys' butts, though. She always yelled at Hi-chan when he was mean to me…I'm sorry, Ino-chan." Emiko whispered when she saw Ino's crestfallen face. "I know Hi-chan killed Asuma-san and I'm really sorry."

Ino shook her head and put on a smile. "It wasn't your fault. You weren't even there."

"Why don't we go shopping now." TenTen suggested.

Haruki sighed as she wandered around Konoha looking for Emiko and Sakura. She was getting worried as she couldn't find either of the girls anywhere. She nearly walked by one of the clothing stores, and only paused when she heard a particularly loud squeal. She poked her head into the shop and breathed a sigh of relief.

Emiko glowered at the teen girls cooing over her. She was in a ridiculously poofy dress with poofy sleeves and ribbons everywhere. She felt like an idiot. "I look stupid."

"You're adorable." Ino cooed. She looked up and smiled when she heard the door shut. "Hi, Haruki-sensei."

"Mommy!" Emiko ran over to her mother, nearly stumbling over the long dress. She hugged Haruki tightly. "Save me! Teenage girls are scary!"

Haruki giggled and hugged her daughter. "Go get changed back into your clothes and then we'll go home." She smiled at the teenage girls while Emiko ran back into the dressing rooms. "Thank you all. I know she can be a bit of a handful."

Hinata gave a small smile back in return. "It was no trouble, Haruki-sensei. Emiko is a good girl."

"Haruki-sensei," Sakura bit her lip, debating whether she should say anything or not. "has Emiko told you about the shadow man?"

"Yes." Haruki sighed worriedly. "She won't tell me much, though. She always changes the subject when I try and bring him up."

Emiko came out of the dressing room at that moment. "Mommy, what's for dinner tonight? I'm hungry."

"How about stir-fry?" Haruki smiled as Emiko squealed excitedly. "Would you girls like to join us? Kakashi won't be home tonight so it's just going to be me and Emiko."

The girls looked at each other for a moment before all grinning (well, Hinata didn't grin. She gave her usual tiny smile.) There was no way they'd turn down a free meal.


	86. Water

**Hello again, everyone! I hope you have all been doing well!**

**Peridot0814: Yes, I read the manga :) **

**Sakura02: Boo class! I figure Emiko gets abused enough as it is so I try and give her an occasional happy chapter.**

**Azura Soul Reaver: He could be…or is it?**

**BlackRosario: Yeah, Inari will be popping up randomly throughout the rest of the story.**

**Shifuni: Aw, thank you :) Yes, I love writing about the little family.**

**Icealeena: Well, Naruto's currently resting at the hospital…he should be out soon :)**

**Glass Rose-Yuri Ziako-Lone Sol: I've always wanted to write about Emiko in a poofy dress because I knew she'd look adorable. I was excited that I finally got to write it. It's cool. I totally understood what you were saying…ish XD**

**icyprincess1: Thank you :)**

**yerashi9921: truer words were never spoken. **

**ToraKU: Thank you! I hope you enjoy this one as much as the last one.**

**Cuttlefish Shiz: Thank you**

**katsekala: Thanks :)**

**1: Wow, thank you so much :). I hope you will continue to enjoy this story to the end!**

**LordWraith1989: Thank you very much! I hope you will keep reading :)**

**XeniaKunoichi: Isn't that always true, though? XD**

**gaaraofthefunk13: One must never turn their nose up at free food! **

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"No…Emiko…just…" Yamato sighed as the water bubble Emiko had had floating over her head suddenly exploded, drenching the little girl from head to toe. Yamato didn't know whether to help the shocked Emiko or start laughing. Emiko was looking at him with a dumbstruck look, her black hair flopped pitifully over in her face. "Why don't we take a break."

Emiko sighed, plopping down on the ground in defeat. "I'm tired of training all the time. It's boring. Can't I just play for a while?"

Yamato smiled sympathetically and sat down beside the pouting child. "You've learned water fairly quickly. Much quicker than I, or anyone, ever expected." Indeed, he'd only been training Emiko in water for two weeks. She had taken to water like…well, a duckling to water. She was a natural with the basics and had learned most of the moderate level techniques with ease. Now that they had moved on to more complex techniques, she was beginning to struggle. "Emiko, why did you want to try and learn all the nature manipulations? You knew it would be hard and that you wouldn't get to play a lot."

Emiko chewed on her lip thoughtfully as she stared up at the clear blue sky. "Because…because I want to beat Madara. The faster we beat him, the faster we can get Sasu-chan back and the faster everyone will be happy."

"Emiko," Yamato began patiently. "you know Sasuke is a criminal now. He attacked the Kages."

"He can do community service!" Emiko answered defiantly. "Once Sasu-chan is back, 'Tachi will be happy, which will make Mommy happy, which makes Daddy happy. Naru-chan will be happy and that will make everyone happy because Naru-chan makes everyone happy! I just want everyone to be happy."

"A war is approaching us, Emiko." Yamato said. "In war, some people don't come home. You can't be so naïve…"

"No!" Emiko cut Yamato off, glaring fiercely at him. "That's why I have to learn on the nature manipulations! If I learn all of them, I can fight Madara without anyone else having to fight! If nobody has to fight, nobody will have to die! I don't want to lose another family." She choked out. She curled up in a small ball on her side and sniffled.

Yamato sat there for a moment, unsure what to do. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched Emiko's shoulder. When the little girl didn't respond, he gently scooped her up and sat her in his lap, patting her lightly on the back. "It's okay, Emiko. I know it's hard and I know you're tired. Why don't we call it quits for today? I'll take you home and you can get some sleep and we'll start again bright and early tomorrow." He frowned as he got no response from Emiko. "Emiko?" He tilted her face up that had been buried in his shirt and sighed.

Emiko was already sound asleep. Yamato noticed for the first time the dark circles under the seven year old girl's eyes. He stood up with her and carried her back to Kakashi and Haruki's apartment.

Haruki answered the door, smiling gratefully at Yamato when she saw him holding the sleeping Emiko. She took her daughter from him and motioned for him to come inside.

While Haruki took Emiko to her room to tuck her in, Kakashi went into the living room to talk with Yamato. "How's it going?"

"She's excelling at an amazing rate." Yamato sighed as he sat on the couch. "She's tired, though. Her exhaustion is making it difficult for her to learn the higher level techniques. Maybe you and Haruki-senpai could convince her to take a break from training?"

"We've already tried." Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose, as though warding off a headache. "She's stubborn. I have no idea where she gets it from. She doesn't want to stop until she's learned all the nature manipulations. I can hear her at night in her room practicing. I don't know what to do."

Yamato hesitated, unsure if he should share what Emiko had told him earlier with Kakashi. "She's afraid of losing her family…again. I know you and Haruki-senpai are her parents, but the Akatsuki raised her and she still views them as her family, as well as everyone in Konoha. She wants to learn nature manipulation so she can fight Madara and prevent anyone else from fighting and dying."

"Emiko isn't killing anybody." Haruki said calmly as she walked in. "I'll kill that bastard Madara myself, with my own hands."

"Haruki-senpai, when the war starts, we're going to need every able fighter to fight." Yamato said softly. "The council considers Emiko an able fighter. She will be required to fight."

"She's seven!" Haruki protested. "She should be in the Academy, just starting to learn how to use a kunai, not learning all the nature manipulations and not getting groomed to go to war for people that are considering killing her!"

"Haruki, calm down." Kakashi said softly. "We'll figure something out. I don't have any intention of allowing Emiko to fight in the war. You just need to calm down."

Yamato declined staying for dinner and bid Haruki and Kakashi good night. Neither Kakashi nor Haruki were very hungry and so they turned in early.

Haruki tossed and turned that night. She was having a nightmare. Blood rained down on countless faceless bodies that were floating in a sea of red. Haruki walked slowly through the bodies, barely noting all the different headbands they all wore. The further Haruki walked, the less and less bodies there were until she was standing beside only one body.

It took Haruki a moment to realize this body was much smaller than all the others; a child's body. She knelt down, her hands trembling as she turned the child over. Her throat closed when she saw the body had a face, a familiar face, covered in blood.

"Mommy?"

Haruki jolted awake, gasping for breath. She looked around to find she was in her bedroom with a concerned Kakashi sitting up beside her and a sleepy Emiko rubbing her eyes, clutching I-chan close to her chest.

Emiko blinked as her mother gathered her up in her arms and pulled her into her lap. "Mommy, what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yes…yes…" Haruki was crying and shaking, raining kisses all over her daughter's face. After a few minutes, she stopped. "Why are you in here, Emiko?"

"I had a bad dream too." Emiko said softly.

Kakashi frowned as he looked between Haruki and Emiko. "What did you dream about?"

Emiko only shook her head and clutched tighter to Haruki. "Can I sleep in here with you two? I don't want to be alone."

Kakashi and Haruki scooted over so there was enough room for Emiko to curl up between the two of them. Emiko immediately snuggled into Kakashi's side with one arm thrown onto the pillow so she could hold Haruki's hand. She heard her parents' breathing even out and knew exactly when they had drifted back to sleep. Emiko was afraid to fall asleep again. She was afraid she'd have the same dream again.

She was afraid to see herself die again.


	87. Wind

**I hate physics with an undying passion. I'm fairly certain I will never teach 8 year olds about quantum physics so why do I have to suffer through it.**

**Sorry for the delay in updates. Same old excuse; school, work. You know, the usual.**

**Sakura02: Um…this chapter should be happy…maybe :P The poor man was exhausted from dealing with Emiko all day! **

**gaaraofthefunk13: I could totally see Kakashi being a bed hog XD**

**Iceleena: Lol, I cracked up picturing Sasuke doing community service, especially since I pictured him with the bright orange vest.**

**Anonymous Reviewer: I don't think I'll do another Naruto fanfic after this one. There will be an epilogue though so you'll get to see Emiko all grown up and happy :)**

**Peridot0814: I'm not sure what'll happen with the Akatsuki yet. I can't wait to get there though either :)**

**ToraKU: Kisame isn't dead yet, nor is Konan. **

**Kaulitz-Twins-Fangirl: Well, I certainly can't say no to the purple flying unicorns. In answer to your message, I've never actually read or watched Hellsing. Is it any good?**

**Thank you: katsekala, Shifuni, Azura Soul Reaver, Summer. ice7, yerashi9921, AnimeCrazed121, 1, hauarie, CuttlefishShiz, narutosonlyfriend, icyprincess1, Sharon Ecker, Anber, Dana. Kay123, and EvilxLittlexNinja for reviewing!**

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"Haruki-sensei, this isn't fair!" Naruto whined, ducking to avoid one of Emiko's wind blades. "If I hit her, she's going to cry and I'm going to feel guilty!"

Haruki giggled as Emiko's attacks increased in their ferocity. "I don't think you need to worry about making Emiko cry. Worry more about the fact that a seven year old girl may beat you."

Emiko yelped as Naruto suddenly summoned a kage bushin and began creating a Rasengan. "Cheater!" She shouted. She prepared to lung forward for a preemptive strike, but quickly backpedaled as Naruto came towards her.

Haruki sat on the ground, smiling as the two continued fighting. She noticed a bright light in Emiko's eyes that had been absent since they had begun her training. "All right, you two. Why don't we go get some ramen?" She laughed as both Naruto and Emiko's eyes lit up and they nodded enthusiastically. "It'll be my treat of course."

"Yay!" Emiko cheered. "I have the best mommy in the whole world!" She immediately grabbed Haruki and Naruto's hands and began dragging them towards Ichiraku.

Haruki watched Emiko out of the corner of her eye, watching the bright smile on Emiko's face as she babbled excitedly to Naruto about all the new attacks she had been learning while Naruto listened attentively. She could see the dark rings under Emiko's eyes growing with each day. Ever since the night Haruki had had the nightmare of Emiko dying, Emiko hadn't been sleeping well and would only even lightly sleep when she was with Kakashi and Haruki.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Emiko asked, looking up at her mother with concern.

"We're here, Haruki-sensei." Naruto added.

Haruki plastered on a quick smile. "Emiko, go inside and order for us. I need to talk to Naruto for a moment."

Emiko looked suspiciously between the two before entering Ichiraku alone.

"What's wrong, Haruki-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, has Emiko talked to recently about anything…strange?" Haruki asked, fidgeting nervously from foot to foot. She frowned as Naruto wouldn't look her in the eye. "Naruto, what has she said to you?"

"Well, she's told me about the shadow man that talks to her in her dream." Naruto said slowly. "She also told me that she's had some…dark dreams."

"Naruto, if you don't tell me what she's told you right now, I'll…well…" Haruki's face contorted in frustration. "I don't know what I'll do but it won't be pleasant. Naruto, I'm worried about her. Kakashi's worried about her. She won't even tell Itachi anything."

"She's told me about how she's dreamed about…well…dying." Naruto said quietly. "That's why she doesn't like sleeping at night. Haruki-sensei, are you okay? You're really pale." He blinked as Haruki rushed passed him and into Ichiraku.

"Hi, Mommy!" Emiko smiled as she slurped a noodle into her mouth. She blinked as Haruki was suddenly holding her tightly. "Mommy, what's wrong? Mommy, why are you crying?"

Haruki held Emiko for a moment longer before releasing her and wiping her tears away. "It's nothing, Emiko. Let's eat and then go train for a bit longer."

Emiko frowned, looking between Haruki and Naruto who came in shrugging helplessly. "Okay." She kissed Haruki on the cheek. "I love you, Mommy." She said before returning to her noodles.

Haruki placed a light kiss on the side of Emiko's head. "I love you too, Emiko." She couldn't help laughing as Naruto sulkingly poked at his noodles. She leaned over and hugged Naruto. "And I love you too, Naruto!"

"Me too!" Emiko chimed in, climbing out of her stool and going over to Naruto. She clambered up into his lap and hugged him tightly. "I love you, Naru-chan!"

Haruki smiled as she once again saw the bright sparkle return to Emiko's eyes. "All right, you two, let's finish up and get back to training! Whoever loses has to clean Naruto's apartment!" She laughed at the horrified looks on both Naruto and Emiko's faces as they quickly shoveled their food down.

Unfortunately for poor Emiko, she lost the training fight. She pouted and glared at Naruto as he danced joyously around. "I'm going to go see 'Tachi before dinner." She announced before storming off, ignoring Naruto shouting at her that he wanted his apartment spotless by the end of tomorrow.

Emiko hummed to herself as she walked towards the Uchiha compound. The Anbu stationed there barely glanced up as Emiko passed through the gates. Tsunade had given them instructions that Emiko, Haruki, and Kakashi could come and go from the compound as they pleased. As Emiko entered Itachi's house, she called out to him.

"I'm in the kitchen, Emiko." Itachi answered back.

Emiko peered into the kitchen and grinned when she saw Itachi cooking. After Itachi had trained her in fire, Emiko had helped him to rearrange the kitchen so he knew exactly where everything was and she wouldn't have to worry about him poisoning himself. She rushed over and hugged him. "I missed you!"

Itachi paused in his cooking to hug her back. "How is the training going?"

"I only need to learn wood and then I'll be all done!" Emiko exclaimed proudly.

Itachi smiled and nodded, keeping an arm wrapped loosely around her shoulder. "Good. Will you tell me now what's been troubling you so much lately? Your mother and father are worried about you." He glanced down as Emiko stiffened at his side. "Emiko?"

"Did it hurt when you almost died, 'Tachi?" Emiko asked softly.

Itachi frowned and stopped cooking. He knelt down in front of Emiko and lifted her chin up. "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Because…I keep dreaming that I'm going to die and I wanted to know if it hurts in real life as much as it does in my dream." Emiko said, feeling her throat get that irritating scratchy feeling that it always got before she cried. She blinked as Itachi sat on the floor and pulled her into his lap.

"Talk to me." Itachi said softly, smoothing Emiko's wild hair down.

Emiko hesitated before looking up into Itachi's eyes. She snuggled into him before hesitantly beginning to speak. "I'm always standing all alone and I'm scared. On one side of me, there's nothing but darkness. I'm scared of it, but I want to go to it. Then, there's this really bright light behind me and it's calling out to me too. The light and the dark…I think they start fighting each other. I don't like it and so I try to stop them…and then…" Emiko bit her lip.

"And then?" Itachi pressed.

Emiko buried her face in Itachi's shirt, clutching tightly to him like a lifeline. "And then I die."


	88. Wood

**I am so sorry for my long absence everyone! It was the end of the semester and Physics was kicking my butt. I'm all done now with the Spring semester so updates should be much more frequent :) Thank you all for your patience and continued support!**

**I'm very upset. I've found two instances of people copying and pasting my work. One person is claiming it as his own which really infuriates me and another simply posted it because she liked the story. If any of you see anything like copy and pasting of my stories, please let me know. This is about the fourth time now that something like this happens and I'm getting really mad.**

**Sakura02: Shhh, don't correct me :-P I'll sick the evil horse shinigami on you.**

**gaaraofthefunk13: You'll have to keep reading to find out :)**

**Kaulitz-Twins-Fangirl: Hm, well I'll definitely have to check out the series. If I were to do a Hellsing baby, though, it'd have to wait for a while as I'm planning on reuploading a revamped version of my Katekyo Hitman Reborn series and then doing yet another new series after I've finished Elegant Orchid :) **

**Peridot0814: Hmmm, my favorite Akatsuki are probably Itachi, Deidara, and Hidan :)**

**Thank you: Killer of thy Cookies, hauarie, katsekala, Icealeena, Yerashi9921, Sakura Ichigo Morihiko, icyprincess1, DeiDeigirl, Azura Soul Reaver, CuttlefishShiz, Shifuni, alyssaangel15, AnimeCrazed121, The Girl Born From Dolls, Amy, FallenBleedingAngel, Akatsukigirl, itachi-sister, Dana. Kay123, starred, and Phoenix for reviewing.**

* * *

Emiko collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. Yamato sighed, unsure of whether Emiko was crying or if it was just her sweating from the hours upon hours of practice she had put in that day, like every other day that whole week. Despite all her efforts, Emiko hadn't been able to learn the wood release. "Emiko…"

"Why can't I do it?" Emiko asked, tears of frustration and exhaustion falling from her eyes. "I learned everything else so why can't I master wood?"

Yamato crouched down in front of Emiko. He placed a comforting hand on Emiko's head and smiled when she looked up at him. "It's all right, Emiko. It was highly unlikely to begin with that you would be able to master the wood release."

Emiko fisted her hands in the grass beneath her, biting the inside of her cheek to try and stop the tears from falling. "Can we practice again tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Yamato hesitated when he saw the determined look in Emiko's eyes. He could see that Emiko would not be swayed. One way or another, this girl was bound and determined to master the wood release. "All right. Are you okay to head home on your own?"

"Yes!" Emiko gave Yamato a quick hug before running off towards her home. She was excited to continue her training. No matter how long it took, she was bound and determined to master the wood release.

Emiko blinked and slowed down until she was walking. She looked around her surroundings nervously, not recognizing anything around her. It had suddenly become dark abnormally quick and Emiko realized for the first time that there were no people around her. "Hello?" She called softly, a slight tremor in her voice.

Something told Emiko to turn around. There was a presence behind her that frightened and comforted Emiko all at the same. Slowly, Emiko turned around and was surprised to see a hill with a single large oak tree at the top. Emiko couldn't be sure due to the bright setting sun directly behind the hill, but she swore she saw someone there underneath the tree.

Compelled by some unknown force, Emiko ran up the hill towards the figure beneath the tree. As she drew closer, she realized it was a man sitting peacefully underneath the tree. He had long black hair and was clothed in red armor that reminded Emiko of the armor worn by ancient samurai. There was something oddly familiar about him that Emiko just couldn't place her finger on. When he opened his eyes and his deep brown eyes connected with her own onyx ones, Emiko realized why he was so familiar. Immediately, Emiko fell to her knees and bowed. "Shodaime-sama!"

Hashirama smiled softly, placing a gentle hand on Emiko's head. "There's no need for such formalities, my dear. We are family after all."

Emiko obediently straightened up. She sat nervously beside Hashirama as he continued smiling at her. "Am I dead?"

Hashirama laughed. "No, not dead. You're merely dreaming right now. I wished to speak with you about your training." His voice was still gentle and kind, but a sterner, more serious tone had entered as well. When he saw he had Emiko's undivided attention, he continued. "You must not push yourself so much, Emiko. You are still a child, a sick one at that, and all this strain will kill you. I want you to stop your training for now. You will master the wood release when the time is right."

Emiko stared at him for a moment. "Is that an order?"

Again, Hashirama smiled. He reached out and placed a warm hand on Emiko cheek. "It is a request from a grandfather to his grandchild."

"If that's the case, I'd like to ask you to stop training for now as well, Emiko."

Emiko blinked as another man was suddenly sitting beside her. At first, she thought it was her father. After a moment of taking in the man's older face, the lack of a sharingan eye, and his silver-white hair being caught back in a ponytail, Emiko realized this was not her father. "Who are you?"

The man smiled and ruffled her hair. "I'm your grandfather. Your father was my only son."

Emiko's eyes widened. "You're Konoha's White Fang?"

"Yes. Please, call me Jichan." Sakumo Hatake smiled at his only grandchild. "As Shodaime-sama said to you, you must stop your training for now."

"But, I'm so close to being done." Emiko protested, looking between both Hashirama and Sakumo. "I know I can master it."

"And so you shall." Hashirama said gently. "With the current state of exhaustion you are in, however, you will not be able to. Besides, there's something else you must do now."

Emiko suddenly sensed another presence. She looked up at the darkness that surrounded the hill she sat on with her grandfathers'. She sucked in a breath as a familiar pair of eyes stared at her from the darkness. "Hello, Shadow Man"

The silhouette of the man inclined his head. "I have a task for you, Emiko."

Despite the deepness of the man's voice, Emiko wasn't frightened. The Shadow Man had been speaking to her for quite some time now, though she wasn't sure who he really was. He was always kind to her in his own way though, and had been the one to tell her about her potential. She smiled at him. "What is it?"

"Three days journey from Konoha is a temple. In the deepest part of this temple, there are three scrolls hidden. You must retrieve them in order to be able to complete your training."

Emiko blinked, looking between the three men. "Is it a wood scroll?"

"No. They are…" Everything faded away as Emiko felt someone shaking her.

Reluctantly, Emiko opened her eyes. When her vision became clear, her eyes widened. "Ah!" She screamed and scrambled away from the person whom had awoken her. "Don't scare me like that, Gai-sensei."

Gai laughed good naturedly. "Hello, Emiko-chan! Your father and mother are very worried about you and asked me to help find you! You're youthfulness seems rather down today!"

Emiko looked around and realized she had collapsed on the sidewalk on her way home. She gave Gai a shaky smile as she recalled her dream. "Gai-sensei, do you think you could take me to see Tsunade-neechan?"

Gai blinked, his smile faltering. "It's late, Emiko-chan. I should see you home, especially if you're falling asleep on sidewalks."

"Please, Gai-sensei?" Emiko asked, giving her best puppy eyes. "It'll only take a minute. I have to ask her something important."

"How could I possibly say no to those adorable eyes!" Gai shouted enthusiastically. "Follow me, Emiko-chan!"

Emiko obediently followed him to the Hokage's office. She thanked him as he said he would go and retrieve her parents while she spoke to Tsunade.

Tsunade glanced up from her paperwork as Shizune led Emiko in. A smile graced her tired face when she saw the little girl. "What are you doing here, Emiko?"

"I have something important to ask you, Tsunade-neechan." Emiko said softly. She quickly explained her dream to Tsunade. She had meant to say nothing about speaking to Hashirama, Sakumo, or the Shadow Man, but the words spilled from her lips before she could stop them. She watched as Tsunade's eyes widened as she finished up her story. "I want to find the temple and get the scrolls. They'll help me become stronger and then I can help everyone."

Tsunade sighed tiredly. "Emiko, it's too dangerous for you to go alone." She ran her fingers through her hair at the stubborn look on Emiko's face. She looked up as her office door was yanked open and Haruki came rushing through the door.

"Emiko, Gai told us what happened!" Haruki hugged her daughter tightly. "I know this is going to upset you, but I don't want you training anymore."

"I know, Mommy." Emiko said as Kakashi came over and took her hand. "That's what the Shadow Man told me to do." She once again explained her story to her parents.

"Tsunade-sama, what do you think?" Haruki asked softly.

"I'm not her mother." Tsunade answered. "How do you feel about Emiko going off on her own?"

"No." Kakashi answered for both himself and Haruki.

"But…" Emiko was about to protest, but clamped her mouth shut when Tsunade held her hand up.

"I don't think it's wise for you to go alone, Emiko." Tsunade repeated. "However, if you will agree to having an escort, I will allow it, if your mother and father give permission of course."

"Only if we are allowed to pick out her escort." Haruki answered.

"Please don't let Gai-sensei come with me." Emiko pleaded to her father.

Kakashi chuckled. "Then it's settled." He blinked as Haruki straightened up from the floor.

Haruki smiled at Kakashi warmly. "Take Emiko home. I'll deal with selecting her escort."

Emiko didn't protest as Kakashi led her out of the Hokage's office and towards their home. "I'm sorry I made you and Mommy worry."

Kakashi smiled as he unlocked the door and ushered Emiko in. "It's all right. Let's get you to bed now. You'll be starting off bright and early tomorrow morning."

Emiko went through her nightly routine quickly. She was exhausted and was relieved to finally crawl into her cool bed sheets and curl up with I-chan. She smiled as Kakashi tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "Daddy, is everyone really going to go to war?"

"Yes." Kakashi sighed out. He blinked as Emiko reached out with a small hand and held his.

"You look a lot like Sakumo-jichan." Emiko smiled sleepily.

Kakashi smiled sadly and kissed Emiko's forehead. "Good night, Emiko."

"Good night, Daddy." Emiko curled up and fell asleep instantly, her dreams for once peaceful.


	89. The Scrolls

**Over 1800 reviews for this story! You guys are so awesome! Please continue reading and reviewing! You have no idea how happy I get when I see reviews :)**

**Sakura02: Poor Yamato…Haruki's going to have to stop letting all these guys take care of her child. Every time they do, Emiko winds up running away or fainting somewhere XD**

**katsekala: you'll have to keep reading to find out :)**

**Kaulitz-Twins-Fangirl: It's not the Fire Temple…so probably it's a secret Senju temple**

**yerashi9921: Naruto will be ONE of the people going with her. You'll find out the rest in this chapter.**

**Phoenix: Haha, yeah, something like that.**

**InsaneArtist96: Yes, I've already spoken to the girl on Quizilla and she was kind enough to take it down. Thank you for letting me know!**

**Amy: There probably won't be a sequel, but there will be an epilogue once this story is all over. Yes, I will be writing the war with Madara. It'll be coming up very soon!**

**nerd4ever243: I'd really like to use the Box of Shame on some of my summer camp kiddos XD And yes, Kishimoto needs to hurry up and end Naruto. It's gone on quite long enough.**

**Thanks: Killer of thy Cookies, CaribbeanTrinidadian, MangaMagic, CuttlefishShiz, Diehard243, Shifuni, perfectpanda37, starred, AnimeCrazed121, camitake, Fallen Bleeding Angel, and hitsugayataichoda for reviewing!**

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything?" Haruki asked softly as she held Emiko's hand tightly with Kakashi holding Emiko's other. She attempted to try and peer into the overly stuffed bag on Emiko's back again, worried that she had perhaps forgotten to pack something for Emiko.

Emiko yawned and shook her head, trying to wake herself up. The sun was just starting to peek over the gates of Konoha and most people were just beginning to stir. "Yes, Mommy, I've got everything. So, who's going with me?"

"Emiko-chan!" Naruto waved excitedly from the entrance to Konoha. He grinned as Emiko struggled out of her pack and ran over to give him a hug. "Good morning, Emiko-chan! Are you ready?"

Emiko looked around to see who else would be coming with her and her eyes lit up. She grinned at Shikamaru, Chouji, Hinata, Kiba, Lee, and Neji as they stood patiently off to the side waiting to depart. She was a little sad to see Itachi wasn't there, but Haruki had already explained to her that Itachi wouldn't be able to accompany her due to his house arrest. "Yeah, let's go!"

"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei, Haruki-sensei!" Naruto said with a wide grin when he saw how nervous the two were. "We'll take good care of Emiko."

"I'll see that they do." Yamato said as we walked up with Tsunade close behind him. "Tsunade-sama has asked me to go with all of you."

Naruto frowned since he knew Tsunade was only having Yamato go with them to make sure he didn't let the Kyubi's chakra overwhelm him. He blinked as Emiko's grip on him tightened. When he looked down, he grinned at the worried look on Emiko's face. "It's okay." He whispered to her as he placed her on the ground. "All right! Let's go find this temple!"

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Emiko whined. They had been traveling for three days now and still had found no trace of the temple. Dusk would be setting in soon and Emiko was worried they would have to stop for the night. She wanted to find the scroll and resume her training as quickly as possible.

Yamato sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Are you sure this is the right way, Emiko?"

"Yes." Emiko nodded quickly. "This is the way Shadow Man told me to go."

Shikamaru groaned in annoyance. "I can't believe we're looking for a temple that somebody in your dream told you existed. This is so troublesome."

Emiko stuck her tongue out at Shikamaru. "You didn't have to come if you thought it was so troublesome."

"P-Please don't argue, you two." Hinata said quietly. "Tsunade-sama told us that there used to be a temple this way. Surely that's the same place Emiko is speaking of."

"'Used to' is the issue here." Kiba piped in, plopping down on the ground against a tree with Akamaru curled up beside him. "What if it's not there anymore?"

"And what if it is?" Naruto argued, seeing how upset Emiko was going. "It doesn't hurt to look for it."

"I don't like it." Chouji said, pulling out a bag of chips to eat. "Tsunade-sama just told us we have to take Emiko to some temple in the middle of nowhere, but she didn't tell us what for. Also, where've you been the past couple of months, Emiko? You're hardly ever around and when any of us do see you, you look half dead."

Emiko tried to shrink as everyone turned to look at her. Only Naruto and Yamato knew everything out of the assembled group. "I've been training…" She said lamely.

"If it's training, you can always ask one of us to train with you!" Lee said enthusiastically.

"It's not the kind of training you can help with." Emiko said softly, looking down at the ground.

"Yamato-taicho, we have a right to know what's going on." Neji finally spoke up. "We know of Madara's plans and that they involve the two remaining Jinchuriki and Emiko. What are you not telling us."

Before Yamato could say anything, Emiko began speaking quickly. She told them everything that had happened since they'd returned to the village. She told them about how there was not only Senju blood, but Uchiha blood in her as well and how she had the potential to manipulate multiple nature elements including the wood release. "I've been training with Daddy, Mommy, 'Tachi, and Yamato." She finished finally. She blinked as Lee was suddenly hugging her very tightly.

Lee sniffled loudly. "What a brave little girl you are, Emiko-chan!" He wailed. "You mustn't give up your youthfulness, though! You have to rest in order to grow stronger too!"

Emiko sighed in relief as he finally released her. She giggled as Akamaru came over and nuzzled her face. She hugged him tightly around his neck and buried her face in his warm fur, trying to hide her yawn.

Yamato, however, did not miss it. "We'll set up camp here for tonight and continue searching for the temple in the morning." He quickly created the wooden house and motioned for everyone to enter before he himself did.

They trekked up the stairs and into the sleeping room. They all unpacked their things in silence and went to sleep without saying anything. Emiko listened as the others breathing evened out. She counted to one hundred before silently slipping out of her covers and tiptoeing downstairs. She slipped her shoes on and left the house as quietly as possible, hoping to get away without waking the others.

"And just where do you think you're going all alone?"

Emiko stifled a scream. She whipped around to see Naruto and the others (minus Yamato) standing behind her. "You should all go back to sleep. I think I know where the temples is so I'm going now."

"How do you know where it is?" Kiba asked.

Emiko shrugged. "Just a feeling."

"Then we shall accompany you!" Lee shouted enthusiastically, earning him glares and hisses to be silent.

Emiko shook her head. "You don't have to come with me. I'll be okay on my own."

Shikamaru yawned and stretched. "You are one of the most troublesome women I've ever met in my life and you're only seven. You're not going alone."

"We promised Haruki-sensei we'd protect you." Neji said solemnly as Emiko opened her mouth to protest. "She gave us a mission and we will not fail at it."

Emiko frowned and put her hands on her hips. "You guys take your jobs as ninja way too seriously."

"It's not that." Hinata said softly. "All of us here volunteered. Sakura-san, Ino-san…everyone else did too, but Tsunade wouldn't let us all come. We all want to be here and we all want to protect you."

Emiko's frown faltered and her hands fell to her side. "Why? I've hardly gotten to spend any time with most of you. Last time I talked to Neji, he didn't like me because I asked him if he was blind. Hi-chan…Hidan and Kakuzu killed Asuma-sensei…why do any of you want to protect me?"

Lee grinned and gave Emiko a thumbs up. "That's simple; you're a Konoha ninja. You're part of our family and family takes care of each other. You're like the girl version of Naruto; people can't help but to like you. We're not going to let Madara take you away and we will accompany you to the temple!"

Naruto walked over to Emiko and took her hand gently in his, giving it a tight squeeze. "You're not getting rid of us."

Emiko smiled shakily up at him. "What about Yamato? He's going to be mad when he wakes up and we're all gone."

"Then we better get to the temple and back before he wakes up." Kiba said, Akamaru barking in agreement.

"So, which way?" Chouji prompted Emiko.

Emiko smiled at all of them before pointing to her left. "East. It should just be a few miles from here."

The group slipped silently away, unaware that Yamato was watching from the window and rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Kids these days…" He muttered to himself before going to follow after them.

* * *

"Are you sure this is where it is?" Chouji asked.

Emiko nodded, though her face couldn't hide her uncertainty. "That's the tree Shadow Man told me the temple would be by."

"But, Emiko, there's nothing here." Kiba said, gesturing around the empty field they were in.

Hinata knelt beside Emiko and rubbed her back when she saw how distraught the girl was getting. "It's all right, Emiko. We'll find it."

"Maybe it's hiding under a rock." Shikamaru yawned, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. He suddenly straightened, as did the others, as a soft giggle echoed around the field. "Who's there?"

"You Konoha ninja are funny." A young woman, no older than twenty, leapt down from a tree, landing gracefully a few feet from the group. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a half ponytail with an Iwagakure headband around her forehead. Her deep green eyes scanned the group thoughtfully for a moment before a bright grin split across her face. "You're looking for the temple, aren't you."

"Yes." Emiko said, attempting to come out from behind Naruto and the others. "Who're you?"

The young woman bowed to them. "Sorry, I forget my manners sometimes. Tsuchikage-sama is always scolding me about it. My name is Mari. Tsuchikage-sama sent me here to find some scrolls and destroy the temple." She blinked at how the entire group in front of her tensed up and how Emiko perked up when she held up three scrolls. Her grin widened. "Are you looking for these too?"

"May I please have them?" Emiko asked, stepping boldly forward.

Mari crouched down and beckoned Emiko to come closer. She ignored how the others immediately reached for their kunai pouches. "I'm not going to hurt her. She's way too cute. You must be Emiko. Tsuchikage-sama came back complaining that there was some wily little girl that crashed the Kage meeting." Mari grinned at Emiko and held the scrolls out. "Here. Put them to good use."

Emiko tilted her head to the side. "Won't you get in trouble?"

Mari waved her hands dismissively and shoved the scrolls into Emiko's hands. "Don't worry about it. I'll just say that somebody got there before I did. Besides, I owe you. You took care of someone very precious to me. Think of this as my way of saying thank you." Mari straightened up then, her grin returning to her face. "Hopefully we'll get to see each other again, Emiko-chan. Oh, tell your captain he can come out of hiding now."

Everyone whipped around as Mari disappeared into the trees. Yamato was standing there, his arms folded across his chest and a rather upset look on his face. "What part of wait until morning did you all not understand?"

"It was my fault." Emiko said loudly over the rest of the group trying to cover for them leaving. "I just had a feeling that I should try and find the temple now. Besides, if I hadn't, Mari-san would've left with the scrolls."

Yamato sighed at the defiant pout on Emiko's face. "How about we just agree to not tell your parents that you wandered off…again."

"What about the temple?" Naruto asked impatiently. "Mari said she destroyed it, but shouldn't there be some evidence that it was once here?"

Yamato walked over to a charred tree on the edge of the field. He did a few hand signs and frowned when nothing happened. "The temple was one that belonged to the Senju clan. It was hidden underground due to the secrets it held. It seems that Iwagakure ninja really did destroy it…"

"She gave me the scrolls I needed." Emiko said, holding up the three scrolls. She frowned and tilted her head to side as she looked at them. "At least, I think they are."

"You mean you don't even know if they're the right ones?" Kiba shouted angrily.

Emiko stuck her tongue out at him. "They are! At least…I'm pretty sure they are." She closed her eyes and hugged the scrolls tightly to her. Despite them being sealed, it was almost as though the scrolls were speaking to her, trying to whisper their secrets. She opened her eyes and looked at the group. "They are the right scrolls."

"All right." Yamato said. "Let's head back to camp. We'll head back to

Konoha tomorrow morning. No more sneaking out."

As the group began heading back to camp, Shikamaru and Naruto walked towards the back with Emiko. Shikamaru yawned and peered at Emiko out of the corner of his eye. "So, what exactly are those scrolls supposed to teach you?"

Emiko held the scrolls tightly to her. "They're for the releases yin, yang, and yin-yang."


	90. Bijuu

**narutosonlyfriend: Yin is the release that is based on spiritual energy that governs the imagination and gives one the ability to create form out of nothing. Yang is the release that is ****based on the physical energy that governs vitality and can be used to breathe life into form. The ****Yin-Yang Release**** techniques make simultaneous use of Yin Release and Yang Release and it's necessary to utilize both of these in order to mould chakra for ninjutsu. I hope that cleared things up for you!**

**yerashi9921: Yes, Mari is an OC**

**Sakura02: Lol, yes, our new special girl has made her first appearance! Aw, I miss Marching Band now…well, minus the whole have to get to school ridiculously early and band camp. Other than that, though! XD**

**Icealeena: Oh yes, Emiko's going to be a handful once she is a teenager. I'm seriously debating doing a few extra chapters at the end of this fic just about her being a teenager.**

**nerd4ever243: Yes, I do a bit of research to make sure everything is as accurate as possible.**

**Killer of Thy Cookies: You'll have to keep reading to get your questions answered :)**

**Phoenix: Sorry about that. I had initially tried writing it where they had to go on this grand adventure through the temple to get the scrolls, but it wasn't coming out the way I wanted so I changed it up.**

**Amy: Kisame is still currently alive and doing his own…sharky thing. The Jinchuriki are going to have a part to play, Emiko will be involved, but I won't tell you to what extent. I don't think Sasuke is going to eat her. I can't answer the rest of your questions but please don't throw emo Sai at me!**

**Thank you: Kaulitz-Twins-Fangirl, Shifuni, starred, EvilxLittlexNinja, xXMai. HanakoXx, AnimeCrazed121, CuttlefishShiz, hitsugayataichoda, Luna Uchiha666, ChiyoChi-Yamamoto, Avasaya, Titans Guardian, katsekala, symmetrygoddess, and xXCosmicFlareXx for your reviews!**

* * *

"You've done well, Emiko." The Shadow Man said quietly.

Emiko collapsed to the ground and gasped for air. Ever since she had gotten the scrolls from Mari two weeks ago, the Shadow Man had been training her nonstop every time she slept. She grinned over at him where he remained hidden in the shadows as he always did. "When will you let me so who you are?"

The Shadow Man was silent for a while. "Stay here. It is almost time for you to wake up and there are some…allies I wish for you to meet."

Emiko cocked her head to the side, but obeyed. She sat patiently in the large field the Shadow Man had created for her to train in while she waited for his return.

"So, this is the kid, huh?"

Emiko yelped and flew back a few feet in order to put space between her and the creatures standing before her. She recognized three of the creatures that were crowding close to her. "What are you Bijuu doing here? I thought Papa and the others sealed all of you up. Except for you two." She added when the Kyubi snarled at her and the Hachibi huffed. Emiko tensed as the Nibi's face was suddenly very close to her own.

The Nibi sniffed at Emiko curiously, nudging her muzzle against Emiko's cheek. The Nibi seemed satisfied and actually curled around Emiko, its tails resting protectively in front of Emiko. "I like her. She smells nice."

"Long time no see, Kiddo." Ichibi sneered down at Emiko.

Emiko glared at him. "I'm still mad at you for all the trouble you caused at the Chunin Exam!" She turned her glare on Kyubi. "And you! You better stop being so mean to Naru-chan! If you hurt him, I'll beat you up, I swear I will!"

Kyubi rolled his eyes and laid down on the floor. He rested his giant head in his crossed paws. "I'm sure."

"Don't be so harsh, Kyubi." Gobi twittered.

Emiko smiled uncertainly since she still wasn't quite sure what was going on. The Bijuu were all sitting around her now with Nibi still curled protectively around her. Emiko hesitantly reached out a stroked the Nibi's fiery blue tail and was surprised to find they were rather cool to the touch. "How are you all here? You're all sealed away except for Hachibi and Kyubi."

"It is difficult." The Sanbi said slowly. "This may be the only time we get to speak with you."

"You have to stop Madara." Nanabi shrilled. "If he awakens the Jubi, the whole world could be destroyed."

"I already know that." Emiko said impatiently. "That's why I'm training."

Yonbi plucked Emiko from Nibi's safe embrace and held her in the palm of his hand. "I suppose you know the risk then?"

Emiko nodded. "I could die. I already know that. I've been dreaming about dying for weeks now." She didn't admit it aloud, but she was relieved when Yonbi put her back in the curl of Nibi's tail.

"Knock it off with the bravado, Kid." Kyubi sneered. "You're scared. I can smell it."

"Leave her alone, Kyubi." Rokubi snapped. Rokubi inclined its head to Emiko. "Please forgive him. He's rather…"

"He's a pain in the ass is what he is." Ichibi yowled with laughter.

Emiko couldn't help giggling as the Bijuu began arguing. In an odd way, it reminded her of siblings fighting. Though, these siblings were giant super powered beast that could kill her with a flick of their tails.

"Shut up, all of you." Kyubi snapped. He lowered his face down so his nose poked Emiko's tiny body and his large eyes glowered down at her. "Listen up, Chibi. When you and my idiot host go to stop Madara, we'll try and help in anyway we can. I may not like you and my host, but I like that fool Uchiha even less. When the time comes, call on us and we'll do what we can."

Emiko stared at Kyubi for a moment before smiling. She patted him on the nose. "You're so sweet, Kyubi. You still better be nice to Naru-chan, though."

Kyubi rolled his eyes as Emiko felt herself slowly waking up. Nibi gave her a quick lick on the face before Emiko completely woke up.

"Good morning." Haruki smiled as Emiko stumbled into the kitchen rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Did you sleep okay?"

Emiko yawned and nodded her head slowly. She went over to Kakashi whom was already sitting at the table and kissed his cheek. "Good morning, Daddy."

Kakashi pecked her on the forehead. "Morning. I haven't seen you this well rested in a while."

Emiko grinned as she heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" She ran over to the door, her grin getting even wider when she saw who it was. "Naru-chan!"

Naruto yelped as Emiko tackled him to the ground in a big hug. "Hi, Emiko." He blinked as Emiko pulled his jacket and shirt up to reveal the seal on his stomach. "Emiko, what are you doing?" He asked nervously, peering over Emiko's shoulders in hopes that Kakashi had not yet seen. He really didn't need Kakashi getting any wrong ideas. His face turned ten different shades of red as Emiko kissed the seal on his stomach. "Emiko!"

Emiko smiled and allowed Naruto to yank his shirt back down. "Sorry. I just wanted to thank Kyubi."

"What's going on out here?" Kakashi asked suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Naruto shouted before Emiko could say anything. "What's for breakfast, Haruki-sensei?"

"Waffles!" Haruki called back. "Kakashi, get your lazy ass in here and help me."

Kakashi shot one more suspicious look between Emiko and Naruto before obeying.

"Kyubi told me." Naruto said softly to Emiko. He reached out and pulled Emiko into a hug. "I won't let you die, okay?"

Emiko nodded and hugged Naruto back. "And I won't let you or Sasu-chan die. I'll let Madara die, though…and Orochimaru…"

Naruto laughed. "I'm glad that we're in agreement on that. Now then, let's go eat breakfast."


	91. Sick Day

**Sakura02: Yes, I'm afraid if Kakashi had seen Emiko kissing Naruto's stomach, there would no longer be a Naruto.**

**yerashi9921: Don't worry, nobody is going to die for a while. I'll definitely give you a warning when it's coming up though!**

**Phoenix: I played the clarinet and bassoon for marching band :)**

**Amy: The Shadow Man's identity will be revealed soon. As for how she'll call on the Bijuu, that will be revealed later as well.**

**ThePhoenixofTears: Her training in her sleep is like when one trains with shadow clones. She learns it all mentally and when she wakes up, is then able to train with what she learned in her sleep. I hope that helps clear it up.**

**StoryWeaver854: Well…that was…interesting…I'm sorry that you feel that some of the characters are OOC. I try to keep the characters as close to their original selves. As for description, I feel as though I have put in a good deal more description than the beginning chapters. My worry sometimes is that I put too much so I'll cut a good deal out because I don't want to the whole chapter to just be describing things. Thanks for the critique and good luck on writing your story as well. I'm curious to see how you'll take the 'Sakura gets raised by the Akatsuki' storyline and make it your own.**

**Thanks: starred, Avasaya, Shifuni, EvilxLittlexNinja, ChiyoChi-Yamamoto, nerd4ever243, Kaulitz-Twins-Fangirl, symmetrygoddess, CuttlefishShiz, Mistress Nightray, Killer of thy Cookies, katsekala, narutofanhinatafan, hitsugayataichoda, alyssaangel15, Icealeena, BANEHiwatari, Winged Wolf- Hainu, and Jestie Uchiha for reviewing!**

* * *

Naruto hesitated, standing uncertainly at the entrance to the Uchiha compound, his umbrella clutched tightly in his hands. A heavy rain poured down from the black sky, making it almost impossible for one to see five feet ahead of them. Lightning cracked overhead, followed closely by the loud boom of thunder. Most sane people were in their homes, either sleeping or puttering around their houses. Which brings us back to Naruto, who was obviously not in his home.

It hadn't been raining early in the morning when he had left his apartment to go to Kakashi and Haruki's shared apartment for breakfast. Just as he had lifted his hand to knock on the door, Emiko had bolted out of the apartment, shouting a quick goodbye to her mother and father and Naruto when she saw him standing there. When Naruto asked where she was off to, Haruki explained that Emiko had gone to spend the day with Itachi. Haruki hadn't even finished cooking breakfast when the rain began pouring down. She'd grown rather worried about Emiko and asked Naruto to go and retrieve her from the Uchiha compound. Naruto wanted to say no, it was raining to hard outside. However, Haruki had just fed him some of the most delicious blueberry pancakes he'd ever eaten and she managed to still make puppy eyes almost as cute as Emiko. With a reluctant sigh, Naruto consented.

Naruto gave a quick nod of his head to the Anbu that were staring at him suspiciously. Even though he couldn't see their faces through the rain and their masks, he was fairly certain they were looking at him like he was insane. "I'm here to get Emiko. Haruki gave me this." He held out a sealed scroll to the Anbu closest to him. He waited patiently for the Anbu to look the note over. When he was given a nod of consent, Naruto dashed into the Uchiha compound, hoping to find Emiko and get back into the warm apartment as soon as possible.

The Uchiha Compound looked even sadder and desolate than it usually did with the rain dripping off of empty roofs and splattering onto unkempt lawns and overgrown plants. Naruto had never been inside the Uchiha compound when all the Uchihas were still alive, and he wondered idly how different it would look with lights on in the destroyed windows and the sounds of voices leaking through the doors. Naruto was pulled from his thoughts by a naked streak running past him, giggling loudly and followed very closely by a clearly annoyed looking Uchiha.

"Emiko, get back to the house and put your clothes on now!" Itachi shouted. He squinted against the rain and kept brushing his bangs from his eyes in irritation. Chasing after Emiko under normal circumstances was difficult enough as it was with his poor sight. Adding in the factor of the heavy rain and Itachi was focusing more on not running into a pole than on actually catching Emiko.

"You let her too close to the door after her bath, didn't you." Naruto said lightly as he ran alongside Itachi. He wanted to help catch Emiko and get inside as quickly as possible. At the questioning look Itachi gave him, Naruto simply grinned. "Sasuke had the same problem when Emiko was staying with him. She'd run through the whole village completely naked and singing at the top of her lungs." Naruto frowned at how pale Itachi had suddenly become; well, pale for an Uchiha. "Hey are you okay…"

Emiko heard a loud crash behind her and quickly spun around to see what had happened. She could just make out two forms a little ways behind her. One was laying face down on the ground with the other kneeling over it. "'Tachi!" Emiko cried in alarm, quickly running back to the two. She knelt beside Itachi's unconscious form laying face first in the muddy ground. "What happened?" She asked Naruto, moving Itachi's head gently to the side so he could breathe.

"I don't know!" Naruto said, his umbrella on the ground beside him, forgotten. He was now soaked through his clothes just as Itachi was. "He just got really pale and collapsed."

Emiko placed one of her hands on Itachi's forehead and gasped. "He's really warm." Wringing her hands together nervously, Emiko looked to Naruto with wide, pleading eyes. "Help me get him back to his house. I feel like this is my fault somehow."

Naruto bit his tongue to keep from pointing out that it most likely was since he seriously doubted the Uchiha would willingly go running in the rain. With a grunt, Naruto hoisted Itachi onto his back and proceeded to drag the Uchiha back to his house. The rain made it difficult for Naruto to see where he was going and he had to rely on Emiko's directions which resulted in him running into a few trees and slipping in multiple mud puddles. On the way back, and when Naruto wasn't running into or slipping on things, Naruto explained to Emiko why he was there in the first place. Once they finally reached Itachi's home, Naruto looked like something dragged from a swamp and Emiko looked as though she had been drowned and brought back to life. "Go get in a hot bath and into dry clothes." Naruto instructed Emiko. "We don't need you getting sick either."

Emiko shook her head stubbornly. "'Tachi first. I'll take a bath after him, I promise."

Itachi woke up at that moment, a violent cough rattling his lungs. He looked blearily around, unsure of what was going on. He blinked as Emiko, still naked, came over and took his hand in hers. "Emiko, where are your clothes?"

Emiko smiled up at him. "I'll go put them on in a minute. You got sick. Go take a bath and I'll make you some chicken noodle soup. Naru-chan, can you tell my mommy I'm okay and that I'm going to stay and take care of 'Tachi?"

Itachi and Naruto both looked at each other, trying to process the fact that a naked seven year old was giving them orders. Shrugging, Naruto eased Itachi off of him and left, promising to deliver Emiko's message if she'd treat him to ramen next time. Luckily for him, the rain had begun letting up and was now only a misty drizzle, much more manageable than the heavy downpour from only an hour before.

"Emiko, you need to take a bath too." Itachi said hoarsely. He could feel his throat itching already and he was very thirsty. However, for him, Emiko's health came before his own.

Emiko frowned up at Itachi, before taking his hand and dragging him through the house to the bathroom. She made him sit on the ground while she drew a hot bath for him. While the water was filling, she turned back to Itachi. "Turn the water off when the bath is full and soak for a little while, but not too long. I don't want you getting overheated. Dry off and put on dry clothes and then go lay down in your room. I'll make you soup after I take my bath."

"Yes, mother." Itachi tried to say through a rough coughing fit. "I'm okay, Emiko. You go take a bath in the guest bedroom."

"Okay…" Emiko said reluctantly. "Shout if you need anything." She shut the door behind her and went down the hallway to the guest bedroom where the bathroom was connected to the guest bedroom. While Emiko waited for the water to fill the tub, she sat on the floor and looked around the room. It looked the same as all the other rooms in the house did to Emiko; lonely. She had never been in a place that felt so lonely before. She wondered how Itachi could possibly live here day in and day out with the feeling of loneliness pressing down from all sides. She blinked out of her reverie and quickly shut off the water before the bath overflowed.

She hadn't realized how cold she was until she got into the warm bath. She hissed as the hot water hit her cold skin and slowly eased herself in. She just sat in the tub for a while, watching the steam curl from the waters surface and up to the ceiling. She didn't think about much of anything while she was in the tub, a rare occurrence for Emiko, and a nice one at that. Deciding that she'd soaked long enough, Emiko hopped out of the bath and drained the tub before going into Itachi's room to retrieve her clothes that she had stripped out of to take a bath earlier before she'd decided to go running off.

Emiko found Itachi in his room, already sound asleep on his bed. She crept quietly through the room, hoping not to wake the sick Uchiha. She quickly slipped on her clothes and was making her way over to the door when Itachi's hoarse voice hit her ears.

"Emiko, what are you doing?" Itachi's voice was barely a whisper as he spoke. His cheeks were flushed from the fever, but his limbs were trembling from an obvious chill.

"I'm going to go make you some soup." Emiko said just as quietly. She walked back over to the side of Itachi's bed and kissed his cheek. "You keep resting. I'll be right back." Before Itachi could protest, Emiko was out the door and making her way to the kitchen. She heated up a can of chicken noodle soup for Itachi on the stove before carefully pouring it into a bowl. She had to rummage around in the cabinets to find a tray to carry the soup and a glass of water up to the sick Uchiha.

Itachi barely lifted his head as he heard Emiko's soft footsteps coming back into the room. He sat up slowly as Emiko came over to his bed and gently sat the tray in his lap. Itachi was taken aback as Emiko took the spoon, scooped up a bit of soup, blew on it, and then held it up to his face. "Emiko, I don't need you to feed me."

Emiko frowned, her grip on the spoon never faltering. "You're sick and it's my fault. I'm going to take care of you until you get better, 'Tachi. Besides, you can barely see and I don't want you to spill the soup on you. It's really hot."

Reluctantly, Itachi allowed Emiko to feed him. The warm soup did in fact sooth his aching throat and he gave Emiko a small smile of thanks for her trouble. He raised an eyebrow as Emiko held the glass of water out to him. "Can I drink this on my own or are you going to help me with that too?"

"I can go find a straw if you want." Emiko said quickly, worried that Itachi might not be able to handle drinking the water on his own.

"That's not necessary." Itachi said quickly, causing another coughing fit. As soon as he was done with the water, Emiko forced him to lay back down. He bit back a smile as Emiko tucked him in. "I remember when you were sick. We'd take shifts taking care of you since you were always a bit difficult when you were sick."

Emiko grinned at the memory. "Hi-chan always yelled at me to hurry up and get better." The two sat in silence, thinking back to the days when Emiko had been so much smaller and her world had not been so complicated and painful. Emiko stood up abruptly. "I'll go get you a cool cloth." Emiko left before Itachi could say anything and came back moments later with a cool rag. Gently, she placed the rag over Itachi's burning forehead. "Does that feel okay?"

Itachi nodded. "You can go home now, Emiko. I'll be fine."

Emiko shook her head, once again kneeling beside Itachi's bed. She reached out and held his hand that was sticking out from one of the blankets. "I want to take care of you, 'Tachi. I don't like leaving you here all alone, even if you do say you don't mind. I don't like thinking of you being here all by yourself. It makes me sad."

"Your mother and father are probably worried about you." Itachi protested weakly. He was feeling sleepy again, his body fighting valiantly against the fever.

Again, Emiko shook her head. "Naru-chan told them where I am. What if your fever gets worse once I leave? What if there's no one here to help you and you get even worse or die?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. Even with his failing sight, he could see the tears pricking at the corners of Emiko's eyes and hear the tremor in her voice. "Emiko, that's not going to happen. It's just a little fever."

"But you already left me once!" Emiko finally blurted out. "When you fought Sasu-chan, I thought you were really dead and I didn't see you for so long. I thought it was my fault and I…I…"

Itachi rubbed a finger gently over the scars on Emiko's wrist. She had told him about how she'd tried to take her own life after Madara had insisted that it was her fault that Itachi had died. "I won't leave you again. I promise."

"I don't want to lose you." Emiko whimpered out. She didn't protest as Itachi sat up and hoisted her into the bed beside him. As soon as she was laying down beside him, Emiko curled up next to him and held tightly to his waist. "I've thought about it a lot since you and Sasu-chan fought. It hurt more than anything else when I thought you were dead, 'Tachi. I love 'Tachi more than anyone else in the whole world. More than my mommy, more than my daddy, even more than Sasu-chan. You were the one that found me and saved me and took care of me. Even when I told you I hated you, you always loved me. If you die…if you die for real…" Emiko hiccupped and finally allowed herself to cry.

Itachi didn't know what to say to that. He held Emiko tighter and kissed her forehead, being mindful that his cool cloth didn't slip off his forehead. He held Emiko as her breath evened out and he felt her fall off to sleep. Once he heard her light breathing, he spoke softly into her hair. "I love you too, Emiko. More than you will ever know or understand." He kissed her forehead one more time before he too fell asleep.

Haruki and Kakashi found them asleep hours later. Haruki had grown worried when she'd called the house and nobody answered and had rushed over to the Uchiha Compound with Kakashi. It was no longer raining by the time they reached the house and the clear night sky was dotted with bright stars. Haruki smiled up at Kakashi as they quietly slipped from the house. "Let's let her stay here for tonight."

Kakashi nodded, a wide grin showing under his mask as he threw an arm over Haruki's shoulder. "So, we'll be all alone tonight."

"None of that." Haruki said, calmly pinching Kakashi's hand.

Kakashi pouted, acting more wounded than he actually was. "Why not."

"I'm not risking having another child with a war looming after us." Haruki answered calmly, slipping her hand into Kakashi's as they walked way.

Kakashi's grin quickly returned. "So, after the war, it's fair game?"

Haruki rolled her eyes and silently prayed to the heavens that Emiko would marry someone less perverted than Kakashi.


	92. Fight

**I apologize for my random disappearance! I was working on my original novel and when I'm writing it, I have to focus everything on it. I've currently completed draft 3 of 6 and I'm very excited :) Thank you all for your patience and understanding!**

**yerashi9921: Don't worry, I'll warn you when Konan is about to die!**

**Guoste-chan: She'll meet up with the Akatsuki later on, yes.**

**Sakura02: Yay compliments! Lol, you know the only reason Naruto helped Itachi was because he knew if he didn't, Emiko would get upset. Yeah, the only reason Kakashi allowed one of his girls to stay the night with the Uchiha is because he wanted one on one time with his woman :)**

**cherryleaf92: I actually do have an idea for the epilogue already. You'll have to keep reading to see what happens, though :)**

**xXMai.**** HanakoXx****: Yes, it's the disease that's making Itachi all sick :(**

**Thanks: Icealeena, alyssaangel15, Shifuni, Sakura Ichigo Morihiko, Kaulitz-Twins-Fangirl, katsekala, StoryWeaver854, EvilxLittlexNinja, starred, nerd4ever243, ChiyoChi-Yamamoto, AnimeCrazed121, narutofanhinatafan, hitsugayataichoda, Jestie Uchiha, Random Fan, Phoenix, Wheelchairmaniac99, Storygirl95, Sukaretto Miyuki, CuttlefishShiz, Amy, CrazyPsychoFangirl, xbamsod, symmetrygoddess, and TearsOfTheFallen for reviewing!**

* * *

Emiko woke up to the sound of her parents raised voices. It had been a few days since Itachi had gotten sick and, thankfully, the Uchiha was once again in good health. Emiko rubbed the sleep from her eyes and dragged herself out of bed to see what the big commotion was. As quietly as she could, Emiko opened the door a crack in order to hear what was going on.

"Kakashi, I just want to go over there and make sure he's okay." Haruki's normally cheerful and patient voice was now sharp and she was clearly agitated.

"He's fine, Haruki." Kakashi said, his voice tight and clipped. "Why do you always insist on going over there? He's not a child, you know. Do you even see the way he looks at you?"

"You're being dramatic." Haruki hissed.

Emiko wasn't quite sure who they were arguing about. All she knew was that her parents were fighting and they're voices were getting louder and louder. With each loud shout, Emiko grew more and more distressed. She wavered between going out and trying to stop her parents or just hiding in her room. Her lower lip quivered as Haruki and Kakashi were now practically screaming at each other. She couldn't bear listening to it anymore. She grabbed I-chan and, without bothering to change out of her nightgown, leapt out of her bedroom window and into the awakening streets of Konoha.

Her initial reaction was to head straight for the Uchiha Compound and see Itachi. No matter what happened, he always managed to make her feel better. However, something in the back of her mind told her it would be best not to go over there right now. Unsure of what else to do, Emiko began wandering the streets aimlessly. She hugged I-chan close to her as she wandered aimlessly through Konoha. She'd never heard either of her parents so angry before and she worried that perhaps she had done something to upset them.

"Hey, Emiko, what are you doing all alone?"

Emiko blinked and turned around. "Oh, Sai." She gave him a shaky smile as he approached her. "I'm just walking around. I was really bored at home…"

Sai's customary smile was in place as he crouched in front of the small girl. "Your mom and dad let you leave the house in your nightgown and no shoes?" When Emiko looked down nervously at her feet, he patted her head. "You're upset about something. Do you want to talk about it?"

Emiko raised a dubious eyebrow. "You want to hear what's wrong with me?" She blinked as Sai pulled a book out from the pouch at his side and held it up to her. "What's that?"

"It's a book on how to make friends." Sai explained, his smile never wavering. "It says that you should listen to other people when they're sad or upset." His smile faltered as Emiko began laughing. "What's so funny?"

"You are!" Emiko giggled. She patted Sai's head and smiled at him. "You're trying really hard to be a good friend. That's very nice of you."

Sai's smile returned and he stood up, dusting the dirt from his pants. "So, do you want to talk about what's wrong?"

Emiko frowned and quickly shook her head. She hugged I-chan tighter to her chest and looked down at her now dirty feet. She knew her mother would scold her for leaving the house without shoes when she saw her again. She looked up when she felt Sai patting her on the head.

"It's okay." Sai consoled. "The book also said you should be patient and let the person talk to you when they're ready. I was going to go paint. Would you like to come with me?"

Emiko looked hesitantly at Sai's outstretched hand. She really didn't feel like going home and listening to her parents fight and she hadn't thought of anything else to do. She placed her hand in Sai's and allowed him to lead her off. Soon, her and Sai were in a deep conversation ranging from painting to Emiko's favorite kind of ramen. They were so focused on their discussion, that neither of them heard Naruto yelling their names.

* * *

"I can't believe you're jealous of Itachi of all people." Haruki sighed out, resting her head on Kakashi's shoulder. After an hour of fighting over Haruki going over to see Itachi that day, the two had calmed down enough to talk without yelling at each other. They were now sitting on the couch side by side, still trying to sort things out.

Kakashi shrugged and looked away. "I'm not jealous. I simply notice how he looks at you, even if you don't. Emiko constantly wants to go over there and spend time with him."

Haruki wrapped her arms around Kakashi's shoulders and kissed his cheek. "What does it matter how Itachi looks at me? I don't look at him that way. He is a good friend and he helped me when I needed it. He raised Emiko. He's always been there for her."

"You should've come to me for help. You shouldn't have left with our daughter in the first place." Kakashi said quietly. "If I had known Madara was after you, I would've protected you and Emiko. Itachi wouldn't have had to raise my daughter if you'd just told me…" He looked down when he felt Haruki rest her head in the crook of his neck and felt her shudder. "Please don't cry."

"I'm sorry, Kakashi." Haruki whimpered out. "If I could, I would go back and change everything. I'm sorry I left you and that I took Emiko away. You have to realize that both Emiko and I love you so much."

Kakashi sighed and simply held Haruki for a while. Neither said anything as they both calmed down. Both jumped when a rather loud knock at the door rang through the apartment. Kakashi released Haruki and went to answer the door. He raised an eyebrow when he saw who was there. "Naruto, what are you doing here?"

"Hi Kakashi-sensei, Haruki-sensei." Naruto grinned at the two. "I tried telling Emiko that Tsunade-basan wanted to talk to you two, but her and Sai didn't hear me."

Haruki came over to stand by Kakashi, a frown on her face. "What do you mean? Emiko's in her room asleep."

Naruto blinked in confusion. "No she's not. I saw her with Sai. She had I-chan with her…" He looked between Kakashi's shocked face and Haruki's horrified one. "I guess it doesn't help to say she was still in her nightgown and not wearing any shoes…"

Haruki raced over to Emiko's door and yanked it open. All she found was an empty bedroom with the window wide open. She rushed back out and ran over to Kakashi. "She must have heard us fighting and left…"

"Calm down, Haruki." Kakashi soothed. "We know she's with Sai. Let's go see what Tsunade wants and then we'll go get her and talk to her. Okay?"

Haruki took a deep breath and reluctantly nodded. "All right. Naruto, do you think you could try and find her and let her know everything is okay now and that I'm so sorry she heard us fighting."

"Sure, Haruki-sensei." Naruto spun on his heels and rushed off.

Kakashi took Haruki's hand and squeezed it gently. "Let's go see what Hokage-sama wants."

* * *

"Sai, what are you drawing?" Emiko asked curiously, resting her chin on his shoulder and trying to see the painting Sai was hiding from her. It was a cool day with a nice breeze. They were sitting beside the river and for once, there was no one else around. It was a rather peaceful place and Emiko made a note to insist her and her parents come here for a picnic.

Sai didn't even look up from his painting as he tried to shrug the little girl off his shoulder. "You can't look at it right now." He sighed as Emiko wrapped her arms around his neck to prevent him from dislodging her. He tore a piece of paper from the back of his sketch book and handed it to Emiko. "Here."

Emiko blinked and looked at the blank paper curiously. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Paint." Sai answered simply. He put the palette of paint down between him and Emiko so she could reach it.

"What do I paint?" Emiko asked.

"Whatever you want to paint." Sai answered. He glanced down when he didn't hear Emiko say anything and saw that she was laying on her stomach and had begun painting. He went back to his own painting. The two lapsed into a peaceful silence, the only sound came from the river rushing by, the breeze rustling the leaves in the tree, birds quietly chirping, and their paintbrushes gliding across the paper.

Sai finished his painting before Emiko did. It was a rather simple painting, just one of the landscape around them, but he rather liked it. He glanced down and saw Emiko's brow furrowed in deep concentration as she continued painting. He tried to peer over her arm and received a glare for his troubles.

After another ten minutes, Emiko sat up and grinned down proudly at her picture. She held up for Sai to see. "What do you think?"

It took Sai a moment to decipher that it was people painted all over the picture. He recognized the Akatsuki cloaks on a few of the people and Naruto's bright orange jacket. Some of the people overlapped on each other and there was not a single piece of white left on the page. "Who are all those people?"

Emiko smiled and looked down at the picture. "It's all my precious people. See? You're right here." She pointed at her interpretation of Sai and grinned at him.

Sai didn't think his face was that lumpy, but he had to remind himself that Emiko was only seven. "I'm one of your precious people?"

"Yup." Emiko said proudly. "Even though you did help Kabuto and Orochimaru kidnap me that one time."

Both looked up at the sound of loud rustling. Naruto broke through the tree line and grinned at the two. "There you are, Emiko. Your mom and dad are super worried about you. They're not fighting anymore so you really should go and talk to them. They're at Tsunade-basan's office right now."

"Okay." Emiko said reluctantly. She stood up and dusted her nightgown off and plucked I-chan off the ground. She leaned over and quickly kissed Sai on the cheek. "Thank you for letting me paint with you today." She scampered off before Sai could say anything, clutching her picture tightly to her chest.

She reached the Hokage tower just as Haruki and Kakashi were walking out. Both looked rather tired and worried. "Mommy, Daddy!"

"Emiko!" Haruki knelt down and held her arms open as her daughter rushed into her arms. "We were so worried about you. Don't ever run off like that again."

"I'm sorry, Mommy." Emiko said, hugging her mother tightly. She released Haruki and went over to hug Kakashi. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I won't do that again, I promise. Are you two still fighting?"

"No, we're not." Kakashi soothed, taking Emiko's hand in his while Haruki took her other. "I'm sorry you had to hear us fighting."

Emiko smiled as the little family walked back towards their apartment in peaceful silence. Finally, Emiko looked at both her parents. "What'd Tsunade-neechan want?"

Haruki and Kakashi looked hesitantly at each other before Kakashi finally began speaking slowly, carefully choosing his words. "It was about the ninja alliance and the war…"

"When are we leaving?" Emiko asked quickly. Her stomach was twisting at the thought of going to war. She'd never seen one before, only heard about them from others and read about them in books. They didn't sound very pleasant, but she'd do whatever it took to stop Madara and Orochimaru.

Haruki hesitated before speaking slowly. "Emiko, you aren't going with us."


	93. Special Mission

**Amy: Thank you! I don't really want to reveal too much about my novel, but I can tell you that it is a young adult fantasy :)**

**ThePhoenixOfTears: It's a young adult high fantasy novel. Haruki is a year or two younger than Kakashi so she's about 26. Orochimaru's DNA had been implanted into Kabuto and now it's taking over Kabuto's body so he's still alive. **

**Sakura02: See? I didn't make a super emo chapter that last time and I don't think this one will be too emo…**

**yerashi9921: Yes, I have been trying to make the chapters longer :)**

**symmetrygoddess: She doesn't not train every night which is why she is still well rested.**

**Thank you: ToraKU, Avenging Pineapple Dreamer, Shifuni, Sukaretto Miyuki, Chiyochiyamamoto, EvilxLittlexNinja, TearsOfTheFallen, , starred, kawaii-teddy, Jestie Uchiha, AnimeCrazed121, katsekala, ShadowFoxAngel, Nejitenfureva, Phoenix, xelacy, Ed the girl, Bird of the Flames, GreyEyedCat, and CuttlefishShiz for reviewing!**

**Oh my goodness! Over 2000 reviews! I never thought this story would be this popular! Thank you all for your continued support and I hope you'll all continue reading, reviewing, and most importantly, enjoying this story!**

* * *

Tsunade didn't bother glancing up from her paperwork as she heard people shouting Emiko's name and the furious little girl yelling right back at them. She heard the door to her office slam open and the sound of furious footsteps running towards her desk. "Emiko, get the stuffed weasel out of my face before I throw it out the window."

"Why am I not going to war?" Emiko shouted angrily, clutching I-chan close to her chest. Her lower lip jutted out in a pout and her onyx eyes seemed darker than usual. "I've been training really hard! I can help!"

Tsunade finally looked up from her paperwork and at the distressed child. "Calm down, Emiko. It seems you ran off before your mother or father could finish explaining things to you. You are not going to war with us, Emiko. I know you've trained hard, but it's too dangerous for a child like you. Your mother, your father…everyone would be worrying about you and be more focused on watching you than the fight before them. However," She said quickly when Emiko opened her mouth to begin shouting. "we know better than to just try and leave you behind. You'd cause even more trouble by trying to follow us. So, we have a very important mission for you, Emiko."

Emiko calmed down and looked up expectantly at Tsunade. "What's more important than fighting in the war?"

Tsunade grinned at the little girl. "Naruto is very important to you, isn't he?" When Emiko gave her an affirmative nod, Tsunade continued. "We don't want Madara to be able to get his hands on Naruto or Killer Bee. Those two will be sent elsewhere for the war. I want you to go with them to help protect them."

Emiko bit her lip and thought for a moment. "What about my mommy and daddy? What are they going to do?"

"They will go to war." Tsunade answered, watching Emiko's face carefully.

"What about 'Tachi?" Emiko asked softly, a frown on her face as she brought a hand up to her throat. There was a rather unpleasant scratching feeling growing at the back of her throat and talking was becoming more and more painful.

Tsunade hesitated before speaking. "He will be going to war as well. Close your mouth, Emiko. You're catching flies."

"So, all of you will be going to war and leaving me and Naru-chan behind?" Emiko whispered, not sure at all how she felt about the information. On the one hand, she wasn't being allowed to fight in the war while her parents and Itachi would be. On the other, she would be able to protect Naruto, someone who had always protected her. She looked up at Tsunade and gave her a small, hesitant smile. "I'll do it. I'll protect Naru-chan."

Tsunade smiled and nodded approvingly. "Good. Now, Naruto cannot be aware of this plan. He is not aware of the war that is coming up. We are going to send him away on what he will believe to be a special mission. You will go with him, Killer Bee, Yamato, Aoba, and Gai." She raised an eyebrow when Emiko shuddered. "Is something wrong?"

Emiko looked pleadingly at Tsunade. "Does Gai-sensei really have to come? He's so weird." She blinked as Tsunade howled with laughter. "I'm serious!"

Tsunade wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Sorry, kiddo. You're stuck with him. Now, go home. You sound horrible."

Emiko bowed politely to Tsunade before skipping happily out of the Hokage's office. While she was not thrilled with being forbidden from going to the war, at least she would be able to do something useful. She grabbed both Haruki and Kakashi's hands and the little family headed back towards their home. Nothing could ruin Emiko's good mood. Nothing.

* * *

"Daddy, my throat hurts." Emiko rasped out, curling up miserably in her parents bed with Haruki beside her, equally miserable.

Kakashi sighed as he looked at his sick daughter and girlfriend. "How do you two manage to both get sick with laryngitis at the same time?" He sighed again as they both moaned pitifully at him. "I'll go get some water for the both of you."

Haruki snuggled with Emiko on the bed and smoothed her daughter's hair off of her forehead. "It feels like your fever has gone down." She whispered out, her voice rough. After they'd come back from Tsunade's office, Emiko had begun complaining about her throat hurting. By the next morning, she had a low grade fever and couldn't speak. That same day, Haruki's throat had begun hurting which she simply waved off as it simply hurting from her screaming match with Kakashi the previous day. By that evening, Haruki had a low grade fever as well.

"Being sick sucks, Mommy." Emiko whimpered out. "Why does this have to happen now? We've gotta get ready for the war."

Haruki smiled and kissed the top of Emiko's head. "It will be all right, Emiko." She opened her mouth to say something more when she heard a knock at the door. She strained to hear who it was as Kakashi opened the door, but she couldn't tell anything other than that it was another man.

Emiko, however, seemed to recognize the voice immediately. She stumbled out of the bed and walked sluggishly out of the room into the main area. "'Tachi!" She said as loudly as she could (which wasn't very loud at all).

Itachi went over and picked Emiko up before the little girl fell. He put a hand on her forehead and frowned. "You should not be out of bed." He chastised quietly, walking Emiko immediately back into the bedroom and tucking her back in beside Haruki.

Haruki gave him a weak smile. "They let you outside of the compound?" She whispered.

Itachi nodded slowly, plucking I-chan off the floor and making the stuffed weasel dance before Emiko. "Tsunade-sama wishes to discuss the details of my role in the war. She said I could stop by here on my way over. I heard you have a very special mission." He said quietly to Emiko.

Emiko stuck her tongue out disdainfully and took I-chan from Itachi, hugging the stuffed animal close to her chest. She smiled gratefully as Kakashi brought both her and Haruki a glass of water. Once she'd gulped down the water, she turned her attention back to Itachi. "It's just a way to keep me out of the way so none of you have to worry about me."

"Emiko…" Kakashi sat beside Emiko, subtly making Itachi move out of the way for him. He didn't know what to say to Emiko to make her feel better.

"It's okay." Emiko muttered out, smiling. "Even though it's to keep me out of the way, I get to help protect Naru-chan, so I'm okay with it." For now, she added silently to herself in her head, her smile never leaving her face as the grown ups continued discussing the war.


	94. New Baby

**Hello again, everyone! I'm going to start putting updates on my profile every Sunday so that you can all see what's going on and whether I'll be updating the upcoming week or not. Also, I'll start revealing little tidbits and hints of new stories to come so check my profile every Sunday**

**Sakura02: At least you aren't sick anymore…for now :). Family is doing better now. My aunt is staying with her older son right now until she can find a new home.**

**symmetrygoddess: I will absolutely let you know. It won't be for a few more years though as I still have to finish the final draft, find an agent, and then find a publishing house :)**

**Thanks: starred, Amy, Shifuni, yinxandxyang, yerashi9921, katsekala, Phoenix, EvilxLittlexNinja, ToraKU, AnimeCrazed121, ChiyoChi-Yamamoto, CuttlefishShiz, Random Fan, narutofanhinatafan, and Anna for reviewing!**

**Starting next update, we'll be back to the manga storyline! That's right, folks, we'll be starting the war!**

* * *

"What are you doing, Mommy?" Emiko asked cautiously, her onyx eyes following her mother's frantic running around the house. Haruki would grab what seemed like rather random things to Emiko and then throw said random things into a large duffel bag beside Emiko on the couch. Emiko peered over the edge of the couch as Haruki once again ran off into the kitchen. "Are you running away, Mommy?"

Haruki actually paused as she threw in another shirt. She smiled at Emiko and patted her daughter on the head. "No, Emiko, I'm not running away. Kurenai is going into labor right now. She's going to have her baby. I'm just taking a few things to her at the hospital."

Emiko's eyes widened as Haruki finished packing up. She hadn't seen Kurenai in quite a while. She blinked up at her mother as Haruki zipped up the duffel bag. "Who is the baby's daddy?"

Haruki hesitated for a moment. "Asuma…"

Emiko bit her lip and lowered her eyes. "Hi-chan killed Asuma…" She looked back up at Haruki. "Can I go with you, Mommy? I want to see Kurenai-san and her baby."

Haruki hesitated for a moment before smiling at her daughter. "Of course. It'll be pretty boring for you, though. You won't be allowed into the room until after the baby is born. You'll have to sit in the waiting room."

"That's okay." Emiko said, hopping off of the couch and heading towards the front door with her mother close behind. "I'll be good. I'll be quiet and wait."

"Shikamaru should be there so you won't be alone." Haruki assured Emiko as she took the little girl's hand. The two walked quickly towards the hospital, neither saying much. Haruki opened her mouth a few times, wanting to talk to Emiko about the upcoming war. Each time she did, the words seemed wrong and awkward so she said nothing.

The two finally reached the hospital and ran inside. Haruki led Emiko through winding corridors until they reached the maternity ward. Emiko frowned as she looked around the seemingly empty waiting room. She immediately perked up when she saw the quietly snoring ninja in the corner. "Shika-chan!"

Shikamaru grunted as he suddenly tackled by Emiko. He groaned and rubbed his eyes. "You're so troublesome. Don't you have someone else to pester? Like, Naruto?"

Haruki sent him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Shikamaru. She really wanted to come and see Kurenai."

Shikamaru waved his hand dismissively. He picked Emiko up and plopped her down in the seat beside him. "It's fine. I'll make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." He watched as Haruki walked down the hallway towards Kurenai's room. He sighed and slouched back down in his seat. "Can I help you?"

Emiko quickly looked down at the floor and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. Randomly, she decided she would wear her Akatsuki dress when she went off with Naruto and the others. It was her favorite dress after all. She glanced up at Shikamaru out of the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry…"

"For…?" Shikamaru drawled out. He cracked one eye open when he didn't receive an immediate answer. "Are you crying?"

"No!" Emiko protested, wiping furiously at her misty eyes. She wasn't lying. She hadn't started crying yet. "I'm sorry that Hi-chan killed Asuma-san. That's the daddy of Kurenai's baby, right?" She glanced over at Shikamaru and noticed how tense he was as he nodded stiffly. "You can hit me if it'll make you feel better."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and roughly ruffled Emiko's hair. "Why would I want to hit you? It wouldn't end well for me anyways. If your father didn't kill me, Uchiha Itachi certainly would and I don't want to deal with either of them. Besides, I already dealt with that man. I'm fine now." He sighed when he heard Emiko sniffle. "I'm sorry. I know you were close to him."

Emiko nodded slowly. "Hi-chan is really loud, he cusses a lot, and he can be really mean sometimes. I know he's done lots of bad things and hurt and killed lots of people. Still, he loved me in his own Hi-chan way…I think he loved me anyways. It was hard to tell with him. He threatened to kill me, but he never actually did so I think that counts as love when it comes to Hi-chan." She blinked as Shikamaru actually laughed.

"You are a strange little girl." Was all Shikamaru said. They both looked up as Haruki came down the hallway towards them, her face flushed and a bright smile on her face.

"Would you like to come see her?" Haruki asked. She smiled as Emiko jumped out of her chair and ran over to hold her hand. Haruki smiled as Shikamaru stood up and nodded to her. She led them quickly down the hallway towards the room Kurenai was in.

Emiko lingered in the doorway with her mother while Shikamaru went straight to Kurenai's side. Emiko stood on her tiptoes, trying to see around Shikamaru. She could see the top of Kurenai's head, the woman's normally beautiful hair was sticking up and stuck to her sweating forehead. Emiko could also see the content and happy smile on Kurenai's exhausted face. She looked to Haruki for permission before slowly walking over to Kurenai's bedside.

Kurenai briefly looked up from the bundle of blankets in her arms over to Emiko. She motioned for Emiko to sit beside her on the bed. Shikamaru hoisted Emiko up right next to Kurenai, being careful not to bump Kurenai.

Emiko peered down into the bundle of blankets that Kurenai presented her with and sucked in a breath. She'd never seen a baby before. The baby had quite a bit of hair, more than Emiko thought a baby should have. She'd always heard babies were bald and ugly when they were first born. This baby didn't look ugly to Emiko at all, though. The baby's cheeks were red and her tiny eyes were squeezed shut in sleep. The baby was the most beautiful thing Emiko thought she'd ever seen.

"You can hold her if you'd like." Kurenai said softly, holding the baby out to Emiko.

Emiko hesitated and looked to Haruki for reassurance before slowly taking the baby from Kurenai. She cradled the baby close to her chest, just like she'd seen Kurenai do. She blinked as the baby let out a tiny cough before settling back down to sleep. Emiko marveled at the thought that she'd once been so small, so helpless. "She's pretty…" Emiko said quietly so as not to wake the baby. She looked at Shikamaru as he watched her and the baby closely. "Is this why we're going to war?" She asked.

Shikamaru was quiet for a moment before smiling and nodding. "Yes. We're fighting to protect the next generation."

Emiko grinned down at the baby. "Don't be scared. We'll beat Madara and Orochimaru so that you don't have to live in a scary world."

Haruki smiled from the doorway. After another hour of visiting and ensuring that Kurenai was all right, Haruki and Emiko departed. The mother and daughter held hands as they walked back towards their home. Haruki looked down at Emiko's thoughtful face. "What'd you think of the baby?"

"I liked her." Emiko said quietly. "I want a baby when I get older."

Haruki laughed. "Don't let your father or Itachi hear that."

Back at the apartment, Kakashi let out a loud sneeze.


	95. To War

**Sakura02: …they came to visit her later :P. Yes, it's a pity Emiko couldn't add another boy to her harem. Oh well, I'm sure Kishimoto will make more characters before this series is over.**

**Thanks: Random Fan, yerashi9921, MangaMagic, katsekala, Winged Wolfie Chibi, starred, risen truth ruthless lies, Amy, Shifuni, ChiyoChi-Yamamoto, AnimeCrazed121, EvilxLittlexNinja, Sukaretto Miyuki, Jestie Uchiha, Mr. Smelly Egg, symmetrygoddess, CuttlefishShiz, and dragonzrule13 for reviewing!**

* * *

It was far too early to be awake. That was the only thought Emiko's foggy mind could produce. The sun was not yet over the horizon and yet Emiko was awake, dressed, and ready to go on her mission. She, Haruki, and Kakashi were assembled at the Uchiha compound where Itachi, Tsunade, and Yamato were waiting for them. Emiko ran over to Itachi and immediately latched onto him, burying her face in his side.

Tsunade chuckled before turning her attention to the group. "Emiko will be going with Yamato, Gai, Aoba, and Naruto as we agreed upon. As soon as they have left, the rest of us will move out. Naruto is not aware of the war, so say nothing to him. Do you understand, Emiko?"

"Yes." Emiko yawned out. She smiled happily as Itachi rubbed her back. She was dressed in her Akatsuki dress and her hair was pulled into pigtails. She couldn't help grinning as she felt the weight of the forehead protector on her forehead. It was Haruki's that she had left behind when she ran away with Emiko. It was scratched and dented, but Emiko was proud to wear it.

"Good." Tsunade sighed impatiently and looked around. "Now, if she would just hurry up and get here…"

"Who is she?" Emiko asked. She looked around at the others and it seemed that only she and Itachi didn't know what Tsunade was talking about.

Haruki looked over at Itachi and smiled hesitantly. "We were worried that your eyesight might put you at risk, Itachi. So, we hired someone to help you."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Everyone looked up at the sound of someone giggling. Emiko's eyes widened as she recognized the brunette that leapt down from the roof of Itachi's house and landed gracefully in front of the group. "Mari-san!"

Mari grinned, her green eyes twinkling as she turned her attention to Itachi. "Hello, Itachi-kun! My name is Mari and I will be your Seeing Eye ninja for the war! It's so exciting to get to meet a real life Uchiha! You aren't as scary as I thought you'd be."

Itachi could feel a migraine coming on. He glared over at Tsunade. "You must be joking. I don't need a babysitter." He blinked as there was a finger suddenly being wagged in his face. He narrowed his eyes at the woman…girl standing before him. She couldn't be more than a year younger than him. "Can I help you with something?"

"I'm not a babysitter, Itachi-kun." Mari sang. "I'm a Seeing Eye ninja!"

"Please refrain from calling me 'kun', Mari-san." Itachi grit out.

Mari giggled and backed up. "Should I call you Itachi-chan then? Don't call me Mari-san. It's too formal. You can call me Mari-chan!"

Emiko couldn't help laughing at the irritated look on Itachi's face. She tugged on Mari's hand until said shinobi crouched down to her eye level. "Take good care of my 'Tachi, okay? Oh, and don't let 'Tachi try and make spaghetti. He'll kill everyone."

"Shut up." Itachi rolled his eyes and hugged Emiko to him. He kissed the top of her head. "Be careful."

"You too, 'Tachi." Emiko said, standing on her tiptoes and kissing Itachi on the cheek. She ran over to her mother and father and hugged and kissed them both. "You two have to come back home. You have to make sure everyone comes home."

Haruki bit her lip and hugged her daughter tightly. She managed a small smile as Kakashi hugged them both. "We'll come home and we'll make sure everyone comes home with us. You be careful too. Protect Naruto-kun and the others. I'm so proud of you, Emiko."

Kakashi kissed his daughter on the cheek. "We'll see you when this is all over."

Emiko kissed and hugged her parents one last time before running over to Yamato and taking his hand. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Can you believe we got this super secret mission, Emiko?" Naruto asked excitedly as he stood beside the little girl on the boat.

Emiko smiled nervously and looked out at the dark water. She didn't care for boats, she decided. They were much too bumpy and the water was far too dark. She couldn't see what was beneath the surface. The only good thing about the whole trip had been that Gai had become sick. He hadn't come out from his cabin since they started their journey. "Yeah…it's exciting. So, the frogs told you that you have to find an octopus to help you learn how to control the Kyubi?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! Hey, there's the island! This is the paradise that the Frog Sage told me about!"

Emiko raised a suspicious eyebrow as the island came into full view. Sharp rocky spikes jutted out towards them, the dead carcasses of sea creatures trapped on them greeted the group. "This is paradise?"

One of the Kumo nin came over to Naruto and Emiko, laughing at their shocked faces. "This island is similar to Konoha's Forest of Death, though it has a bit more of a dramatic flair to it. Don't worry, though; as long as you leave the creatures of the island alone, they will leave you alone. Well, except for…"

"Octopus!" Naruto suddenly shouted excitedly.

Emiko whipped around and gasped as giant tentacles shot up from the water around them. "Naru-chan…I don't think that's an octopus…"

"That's a squid!" Yamato shouted as the creature pulled itself from the water.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked dubiously. "Let's see; one…two…"

"Seriously?" Emiko shouted at Naruto, tugging impatiently on his jacket. "Now isn't the time to count! We've got to move, Naru-chan!"

Naruto pouted. "I just want to make sure…" He yelped as he was suddenly hoisted into the air by one of the tentacles.

"Naru-chan!" Emiko shouted. She was about to attack when a familiar monster suddenly appeared. "Oh! That's…"

"It's an octopus!" Naruto crowed excitedly as the squid released him. He landed beside Emiko, a grin on his face. "I found the octopus!"

Emiko rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. "Hi, Mr. Killer Bee!"

Killer Bee smirked down at the group. "Yo, Ms. Senju! Y'all are late, yo fools, ya fools!"

"What the hell is he saying?" Naruto mumbled. He quickly shook it off as Killer Bee changed back to normal. He gave Killer Bee a big smile. "Octopops! Thanks, ya know!"

Everyone blinked as Killer Bee plopped down onto the ground and began thumbing through a little journal, muttering to himself. Killer Bee frowned as he looked back up at Naruto. "Will we clash or be a smash? If I dare say, it'll be a no go, _whee!_ I'm a brat hating outlaw, tee hee!"

"Did he seriously just say tee hee?" Emiko sighed and tugged on her pigtail. Somehow, she got the feeling that this was going to be a long and difficult mission.

"I'm glad you all made it, alive." Another Kumo nin appeared on top of one of the spikes on the island. "I am the supervisor of this island, Motoi. Please, follow me to your lodgings."

Emiko giggled as Gai was helped out of the boat's cabin by Aoba. "Poor Gai-sensei. Are you okay?" She bit back another giggle as Gai nearly threw up again. The group quickly departed from the boat and followed Motoi into the inner part of the island. Emiko ran ahead to walk beside Killer Bee. "I'm sorry about the last time we met."

"It's all in the past." Killer Bee said, patting Emiko on the head. "Whoa, you sure grow up fast!"

"Are you going to rhyme the whole time?" Emiko bit out. She gasped as a giant gorilla leapt out and roared at them. "I don't want to be eaten!" She screamed, running back to Naruto and hiding behind him.

Naruto laughed and hugged Emiko to him. "Don't be scared, Emiko. I'll protect you!" He glanced over at Motoi while Killer Bee fist bumped the gorilla. "So, what's up with him?"

A proud smile spread across Motoi's face. "He is Kumogakure's hero among heroes. Not only does he have all the creatures of this island tamed, but the Hachibi as well. This island is where he gained control of the Hachibi."

The rest of the trip to their lodgings was fairly uneventful. Emiko remained beside Naruto the whole time, holding his hand tightly in hers. Once they reached their lodgings, Yamato pulled Emiko aside. "Emiko, I want you to continue practicing your wood training. You've mastered all the others and I know you can master wood. You have to figure out what's holding you back. Once you do, you'll be able to master wood."

"Yes sir." Emiko said quietly. She went to her room and meditated late into the afternoon. She tried her best to clear her mind, but thoughts of her mother and father, of Itachi, and of everyone else clouded her head. She finally gave up when there was a loud and excited knocking on her door.

"Come on, Emiko!" Naruto shouted excitedly when Emiko finally answered the door. "We're going to train!"

Emiko raised an eyebrow, but obediently followed Naruto, Yamato, and Motoi away from the lodgings and to a gorgeous waterfall. "What is this place?"

Motoi smiled down at her. "This is known as the Waterfall of Truth. This was a preliminary step to learning how to control the Bijuu for Killer Bee-sama." He motioned to a small circle of land in the center of the pool at the base of the waterfall. "Sit there and close your eyes, Naruto. Then, you will see the truth about yourself."

Emiko frowned as Naruto did as he was told. For a while, nothing happened. Then, she saw him tensing up. _What's going on?_


	96. Trust

**Otaku97: I can't just tell you what's going to happen. It'll spoil all the fun :)**

**Sakura02: They just need to feed Itachi a baby and he'll be fine.**

**Thanks: Shifuni, yerashi9921, EvilxLittlexNinja, AnimeCrazed121, Miss Luny, katsekala, Amy, ShiningHeart of ThunderClan, Phoenix, Random Fan, Killer of thy Cookies, nameless reviewer, and symmetrygoddess for reviewing!**

* * *

Itachi could practically feel the girl's eyes boring into the side of his head. He glared over at the overly perky ninja and then did his best to ignore her. They were on their way to meet with the rest of the army. Haruki and Kakashi were ahead of them, both talking in low and quiet voices. Itachi knew Haruki was worried about Emiko as were Kakashi and himself.

"I'm sure she'll be okay, Itachi-chan." Mari's bright voice shattered through Itachi's thoughts. She grinned at him when he turned and gave her an irritable glare. "Why are you so cranky, Itachi-chan? Are you hungry? I have some food rations if you're hungry."

"I'm not hungry." Itachi grit out. "I believe I have asked you to refrain from calling me 'chan', Mari-san."

Mari simply giggled and patted Itachi on the head. "I'll stop calling you Itachi-chan when you stop calling me Mari-san."

Haruki laughed as she heard the irritated snarl Itachi let out. She reached out and grabbed Kakashi's hand, smiling when he squeezed her hand. She took a deep breath and tried to push thoughts of her daughter to the back of her mind. They were going to war and she couldn't afford to worry about Emiko. If she did, it would only distract her from the task at hand. If she was distracted, she could very well die and then she would never see her daughter again. "Please don't do anything stupid, Kakashi."

Kakashi gave her a mockingly wounded face. "Now, why would I do something stupid?"

"Because, you are you." Haruki stated simply. She went back to trying to put Emiko from her mind.

"Don't worry about her, Haruki." Kakashi said, interlacing their fingers together. "Emiko will be fine. She's with Naruto, Yamato, and Gai. They won't let anything happen to her."

Haruki smiled sadly. "I know. It's just that…now that we're finally all together again…we have this war to deal with…"

"Everything will be fine." Kakashi assured. "No more worrying about Emiko. For now, we need to focus on the task at hand."

"Of course. You're right." Haruki smiled over at Kakashi. "I just hope she's doing okay…"

* * *

"Why does Naru-chan keep twitching?" Emiko asked as she, Yamato, and Motoi stood back while Naruto continued sitting silently before the waterfall. Emiko took a step forward to check on him, but she was stopped by Motoi placing a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at him with curious eyes.

Motoi simply shook his head at her. "Don't disturb him. When one sits before the waterfall, they are able to focus and enter their own mental sphere. The waterfall serves as a mirror to one's inner self. If you are able to overcome your inner self, it is said that one is able to become more powerful."

"So, Naru-chan is fighting himself right now?" Emiko chewed thoughtfully on her lip when Motoi gave her an affirmative nod. Perhaps, if she sat before the waterfall and confronted her inner self, she'd be able to master wood. She quickly ran over to Naruto when she saw him fall forward. "Are you okay, Naru-chan?"

Naruto panted for breath, barely registering Emiko's hand on his shoulder. He glanced up when he heard Yamato running over. "There was someone who looked just like me. He was my dark half."

Emiko blinked when Naruto said this. Naruto was always so happy and cheerful. How could he possibly have a dark side? "You couldn't beat him?"

Naruto shook his head. "He was the exact same as me; same strength, same jutsus…everything! It was going to go on forever."

Motoi sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "You have to defeat him or you won't be able to handle the Bijuu's power."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Naruto wailed, flopping over onto his back. He blinked as he felt Emiko lightly patting his hair down. He grinned tiredly up at her and poked her in the nose. His eyes lit up and he abruptly sat up, nearly smacking his head into Emiko's. "I know! I'll ask Octopops to help me since he trained here!" His smile suddenly fell away and he began sulking again. "Never mind. He won't help me…"

Emiko glanced over at the waterfall. Did she have a dark side that slept deep within her heart. She didn't know, and truth be told, she was afraid to find out. She stood up from beside Naruto and began walking away. "I'm going for a walk. I'll see you guys later." She grinned over at Yamato who had a rather worried look on his face. "I won't go far. I promise."

She really didn't know where she was going. She just wanted some time alone to think. She found herself sitting on one of the spikes of rock that looked out on the ocean around the island. She sat down and closed her eyes, feeling the cold spray of the ocean on her face and the wind. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been alone like this, with no one else anywhere near her. She thought about her mother, her father, Itachi, and all the others that were going to war with Madara. She thought of Konan, the mother who had raised her and that she hadn't seen in a long time. "I hope you're okay, Mama."

"So this is where you went." Naruto came over and sat beside Emiko, resting his head on top of hers, grinning when Emiko let out a grunt of annoyance. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking." Emiko answered, leaning into Naruto's side. "What about you? Are you okay?"

Naruto was quiet for a minute before finally speaking. "Octopops is a Jinchuriki like me. He grew up being hated, but now everyone in his village trust him. It's the same with Gaara now too. He's their Kazekage and they really respect him. I've got Iruka-sensei, my classmates…" His grin quickly fell away. "The dark me said some things…I don't think all the villagers trust and respect me just yet…"

Emiko leaned up and kissed his cheek, giving him a bright smile. "I've always trusted you, Naru-chan. Same with Daddy, Mommy, Sakura-chan, and all our other friends. It'll take a while to gain everyone's trust, but at least you have all of us." She let out a surprised yelp when Naruto suddenly hugged her tightly.

"You're the best, Emiko!" Naruto grinned brightly at her when he finally let her go. Both of them looked up abruptly when they heard the sound of someone screaming. "Hey, that's Motoi!"

Emiko and Naruto quickly leapt over to where Yamato was standing and watching helplessly as Motoi dangled in the air above them in a tentacle. "Naruto, Emiko, formation C, now!"

Emiko immediately got into position and frowned when Naruto simply stood there. "What are you doing, Naru-chan? We've gotta help Motoi!"

"Stop it, Octopops!" Naruto suddenly shouted. "Motoi really does trust and care about you!"

"Naru-chan, now isn't the time to be an idiot!" Emiko shouted. "That's the squid!"

"Fight first, talk later!" Yamato shouted at the two of them. Just as the three of them were about to attack, Killer Bee appeared in his Jinchuriki form and easily dealt with the squid with one swift punch.

They were all now standing on one of the rocky ledges, Motoi trying to catch his breath while Emiko soothingly rubbed his back. Motoi looked up at Killer Bee, confusion written all over his face. "Why would you save me? You knew that I had tried to kill you all those years ago. So why…?"

Killer Bee simply grinned down at Motoi and held out his fist. "You did?" His grin widened when Motoi fist bumped him.

Emiko rolled her eyes as all the men grinned around her. She looked back out at the sea thoughtfully.

"What's wrong, Emiko?" Yamato asked worriedly.

Emiko looked back up at all of them and pointed at the squid. "I'm hungry. Can we eat him?" She frowned when they all began laughing at her. She didn't see what was so funny. "I'm serious. I'm really hungry."


	97. Training Continues

**I'm so sorry, everyone! I hate not updating for long periods of time like this. November has been a rather chaotic month between NaNoWriMo, trying to find a second job, Thanksgiving, and becoming a Dual Major. I hope you will all forgive me and continue reading and reviewing!**

**Shinigamiheart of ThunderClan: Itachi isn't alive in the manga/anime. He comes back as a zombie during the war, but he's not actually alive. I brought him back because poor Emiko has lost enough people and because I love Itachi so much :). Mari is another of my original characters that was created solely to drive Itachi crazy.**

**Sakura02: Yeah, it's what the volumes have his name as. I was too lazy to look up online what the translated version was. I don't think Octopops sounds like a very tasty food…**

**Adrian Patch: I had a serious debate about bringing the other Akatsuki members back, but decided not to since it would make the plot really convoluted. I can't tell you who the Shadow Man is yet, but he will be revealed soon enough :)**

**Thanks: Jestie Uchiha, Shifuni, Britt3899, yerashi9921, Masked Bard of Chaos, EvilxLittlexNinja, Sukaretto Miyuki, starred, AnimeCrazed121, Amy, katsekala, Ashley colon, and Phoenix for reviewing! **

* * *

Emiko lingered back beside Motoi and Yamato while Naruto and Killer Bee talked. Emiko couldn't help the wide grin on her face when she realized the two of them were getting along and that Killer Bee had finally agreed to help Naruto out. She glanced up at Motoi who was grinning just as much as she was. "What happens now?"

Motoi glanced down at the little girl very briefly. "Naruto must now face himself again at the waterfall."

"Didn't he fail last time, though?" Emiko asked. She looked up just in time to see Killer Bee and Naruto already heading towards the waterfall. She ran to catch up with them and immediately latched onto Naruto's hand. "Are you going to be okay, Naru-chan?"

Naruto grinned down at Emiko and roughly ruffled her hair. "Don't worry. I know what to do now. I won't lose to myself!"

Emiko stood back with the others while Naruto went back to sitting before the waterfall. The minutes seemed to drag on as they all stood there and just stared at the very still Naruto. She looked up at Killer Bee curiously. "Does everyone have a dark side?"

Killer Bee grinned and crouched down next to Emiko. He poked her gently in the nose. "Having a bad side and a good side is what makes us all human. If we didn't, we'd be…non-human."

Emiko rolled her eyes and swatted Killer Bee's hand away. "That was lame. It didn't even rhyme." They all turned their attention back to Naruto who had finally stood up. "Did you win, Naru-chan?"

Naruto grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "Of course!"

Killer Bee grinned as well. "You ready to try controlling the Kyubi's power now? I'll be your instructor, so you better listen up or you may suffer death or torture."

Emiko groaned in annoyance, leaping over to the small island Naruto was standing on. "Do you really have to rhyme everything you say? It's really annoying, you know?"

Killer Bee simply ignored her and hopped straight over the tiny island and stood right in front of the waterfall. "Follow me, Naruto!"

"I'm coming too!" Emiko shouted, following after Killer Bee and then Naruto. She barely heard Yamato protesting as she leapt through the giant waterfall after the two jinchuriki. Her eyes widened as she took in the ancient ruins that had been hidden behind the waterfall. "Wow, this is so cool!"

"This is where you'll be fighting Kyubi." Killer Bee said casually to Naruto.

Naruto's eyes widened briefly, the sound of Yamato coming through the waterfall not really registering. "I have to fight Kyubi?"

"Emiko, what have I told you about just wandering off?" Yamato snapped, whapping the little girl upside the head. "Your father will have my head if anything happens to you!"

Emiko whined and clung to Naruto's arm. "I wasn't alone! I was with Naru-chan and Bee-chan!" She glared back over at Killer Bee. "Why does Naru-chan have to fight, Kyubi? Isn't that dangerous?"

Killer Bee blinked at the nickname Emiko had given him before shrugging it off. "Follow me."

Yamato whistled as they walked through the ruins. "These headless statues are quite old. This place could use a bit of restoration, though."

"No way! Those stone statues were carved without heads for a reason!" Killer Bee vehemently protested.

Emiko put her free hand on her hip and kicked a rock at Killer Bee's back. "You didn't answer my question! Isn't it dangerous for Naru-chan to fight Kyubi? I mean, Kyubi isn't the nicest Bijuu around."

"How do I even face him?" Naruto snapped impatiently.

"He doesn't have to do anything excessive, does he?" Yamato asked worriedly, a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

Killer Bee rolled his eyes at all of them. "You think you can control a Bijuu without being excessive? These ruins are a sacred place where those selected to be Jinchuriki come for purification ceremonies. It's set up so you can talk to your Bijuu…a special way. It's inside this structure, hear what I say?"

Emiko rolled her eyes as they came to a stop before a large relief of what looked like an angry cat's head. "You were doing so well about not rhyming. So, we have to crawl through that thing's mouth?" She asked dubiously.

"Not us." Killer Bee corrected. "Only the chosen may enter this place. Naruto, you need to put your head in that space." Killer Bee instructed, pointing to the cat statue's gaping mouth. "You just have to be pure and have a heart that's sincere."

Yamato sighed in annoyance. "Could you please talk normally? It's difficult to understand you with you rhyming all the time."

"He's saying that you can't have any darkness in your heart." Emiko translated. "That's why Naru-chan had to take the waterfall test."

Killer Bee nodded approvingly and grinned wickedly. "If there's darkness, the doors won't part. The statue will separate your head from your heart. Those headless statues you saw on your way here were Jinchuriki whose hearts weren't sincere."

Emiko noticed how Naruto gulped nervously. She latched onto his hand and looked up at him pleadingly. "You don't have to do this, Naru-chan. Maybe we can find another way for you to talk to Kyubi."

Naruto smiled down at Emiko and squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Emiko. I came here to gain control of the Kyubi, and that's what I'm going to do. I'll be okay."

Emiko twisted the hem of her dress nervously in her hands. She held her breath, watching as Naruto put his whole upper body into the statue. When he screamed, she let out a shriek of fear. "Naru-chan!" She watched as Yamato pulled out the headless body of Naruto. Within in seconds, Emiko was bawling hysterically. "Naru-chan got eaten by the kitty statue!"

Naruto quickly yanked his head out of his jacket, grinning at the annoyed look on Yamato's face. When he realized Emiko was crying, he went over to her and hugged her tightly. "It was just a joke, Emiko! Look! I've still got my head! I was just trying to scare Yamato-taicho! Please stop crying."

Emiko glared at him through her tears and punched him harshly in the arm. "You're a jerk, Naru-chan!" She stomped passed him and over to Killer Bee who was laughing hysterically. She punched him in the side. "You're a jerk too!"

Killer Bee stopped laughing when the doors to the hidden room opened. He patted the still very irritated Emiko on the head and then turned his attention to Naruto. "Go in there and sit down. Close your eyes and focus, just like you did at the waterfall. Then, you'll meet up with your Bijuu." Killer Bee led the way into the room, followed by Yamato, and then Naruto. When Emiko tried to enter the room, Killer Bee stopped her. "It's too dangerous for you."

"I want to help." Emiko huffed, glaring up at Killer Bee.

"You can't." Killer Bee said shortly. "Yamato told me how you're struggling to control the element wood. Go sit at the waterfall, that'll do you good." With that, he turned around and went into the room, shutting the door in Emiko's face.

Motoi gave the girl a sympathetic smile when she stormed angrily out from the waterfall. "It would've been too dangerous for you to stay in there."

Emiko huffed and crossed her arms. "Because I'm a kid, right? That's the excuse everyone gives me." She looked back at the waterfall and hesitated. Did she really want to face the darkness in her own heart? It was a scary thing to think about doing. Taking a deep breath and sat down in front of the waterfall. She closed her eyes, just as Naruto had done.

A voice that sounded just like her own whispered quietly. "Hello, Emiko."

* * *

Itachi was an Uchiha, and Uchiha's could endure anything. They did not break over trivial matters. That was what Itachi had to keep telling himself as they set up camp. They were getting closer and closer to meeting up with the army. "Mari-san, please stop waving your hand in my face."

Mari grinned and sat back on her heels. "I just wanted to know if you could still see. Are you hungry?" Kakashi and Haruki were off somewhere finding firewood and would be back at any moment.

"No." Itachi said shortly. "I wouldn't have to be able to see to know you were waving your hand around. The change in the breeze is enough to inform me."

"Oh." Mari giggled sheepishly. "I hadn't thought of that. Hey, Itachi-chan, what was the Akatsuki like? Was it fun?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Fun is not a word I would use to describe a group of S-class criminals, Mari-san."

Mari pouted and scooted closer to the Uchiha, ignoring how he leaned away from her. "But, you all had Emiko-chan, right? That must have been fun. Besides, Deidara-senpai wouldn't have joined a group that he didn't think would be a little fun."

"You knew Deidara?" Itachi asked, mildly curious.

Mari grinned, excited that the Uchiha was actually holding a conversation with her. "Yes! We grew up together in Iwagakure. We actually lived next door to each other and he'd always walk with me to and from school. We were on different teams, but we always trained together. I wasn't too surprised when he went off, though. He was never very good at taking orders."

Itachi let out a small snort. "That does sound like him." He blinked as Mari was suddenly in his face, making him very uncomfortable. "Yes?"

"I got you to laugh!" Mari cheered excitedly. "I didn't think Uchiha's knew how to laugh."

Itachi placed a hand on Mari's face and gently pushed her away. "We aren't made of stone."

"Really?" Mari frowned, disappointed. "So, maybe the other stories about you Uchiha's aren't true either…"

Itachi felt a twitch coming on. "What stories?"

Before Mari, could answer, Kakashi and Haruki appeared, their arms full of firewood. Itachi rolled his eyes, watching Mari rush to help the two with his blurry vision. How was it that he always seemed to get stuck with the most annoying women?


	98. Darkness Within

**Argh! I swear I'm getting back on track with updating, everyone! Things have been so crazy with my little sister moving out of the house (so sad!), getting a new car (amazing!), and getting ready for school. **

**Sakura02: Uchihas eat their own young, you know. That's how they weed out the weak ones.**

**narutofanhinatafan: Yes, Mari is kind of off in her own little world. **

**Masked Bard of Chaos: Haha, I liked a lot of your Uchiha secrets! I may just have to incorporate a few of them into the story ;)**

**Invincible Shadow: I can't reveal exactly what will happen, but I will say that Emiko does not like being left behind and she definitely won't sit quietly for much longer.**

**Thanks: Hanoonee, AnimeCrazed121, Sexii-chan, yerashi9921, ArdentheVampire, katsekala, Jestie Uchiha, Phoenix, Shininingheart of ThunderClan, EvilxLittlexNinja, koolbeanz, Live-Laugh-Love-Till-The-End, and AkaneSukishima for reviewing!**

* * *

Motoi watched the little girl closely. He could see her twitch or flinch on occasion, but she didn't make any other moves. He was startled when Emiko suddenly leapt up from her seated position and rushed over to him. "What's wrong?"

Emiko sobbed and clung tightly to Motoi. "I don't like me! I'm a bitch!" Emiko wailed at the top of her lungs, refusing to look back at the tiny island. "Do I really have to confront myself? I'm okay with not knowing how to control wood."

"Are you really?" Motoi asked dubiously. He crouched down in front of the still sniffling Emiko and tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. "Don't you want to help the others? Don't you want to be able to protect Naruto and your family?"

"That's not fair." Emiko pouted up at Motoi. "Do I really have to face myself?"

"You don't have to." Motoi assured, giving Emiko a knowing smile. "You want to, though, don't you? You want to be just as strong as Naruto and help him. You're a strong and loving little girl, Emiko. You can do anything you set your mind to, including overcoming yourself."

Emiko sighed and wiped her tears away. She looked hesitantly back over at the little innocent looking island. She gave Motoi a small smile before going back over to the island. She sat down and took a deep breath to calm herself. "Okay, Dark Me, let's do this."

"That was fast." An exact mirror image of Emiko stepped out from behind the waterfall. The only difference between her and the real Emiko was that her eyes were shadowed. "I thought I sent you crying out of here."

Emiko stuck her tongue out at the other her and crossed her arms. "Shut up. I just wasn't prepared the first time around. This time will be different."

The other Emiko snarled and clenched her fist. "It doesn't matter how prepared or not you are! It doesn't change what's in your heart! You say you love everyone, but deep down, you resent them at the same time. Dad let Mom get away! He should've tried harder to find us! Mom abandoned us! She left us in the grass all alone! She left us with the man that wants to use us and hurt us! Itachi pretended to die and he left us too! Everybody eventually abandons us!"

Emiko could feel herself wavering. She knew these were feelings that were deep in her heart; fear and anger at constantly being abandoned by the people she loved. "Naru-chan hasn't abandoned us. Mommy and Daddy are back now, and they won't leave us ever again. I know it's really scary to think about being alone, but it won't happen. Everything is going to be okay. We've got to help everyone stop Madara and Orochimaru."

"Shut up!" The other Emiko scream, her eyes watering up. "Even Sasuke abandoned us! We're just a pest to all of them!" The other Emiko gasped when Emiko wrapped her in a tight hug.

"It's okay." Emiko soothed. "If we work together and stop Madara and Orochimaru, everyone will come home. We won't be alone. We won't be abandoned."

The other Emiko sniffled and clung tightly to Emiko. "How can you know that?"

Emiko grinned and pulled away from the other Emiko. "I just do. You should know that. You're me, right?"

The other Emiko wiped her tears away and gave a small smile. Slowly, she began to disappear. "You're right. Let's do our best…"

Emiko's eyes snapped open. She flopped onto her back and stared blankly up at the blue sky. Eventually she rolled over onto her stomach and grinned over at Motoi. "I won!"

Motoi nodded approvingly at the little girl. "I knew you could do it."

Emiko hopped back over to where Motoi was. She did the hand seals that she had learned by heart. Her heart sank when nothing happened at first. She let out a squeal of delight when wood shot out from the ground. "I did it! I did it, Motoi!"

Motoi stumbled back a few paces when Emiko lunged forward and hugged him. "Congratulations, Emiko."

Emiko grinned and hugged Motoi tighter. If only her mother and father could see what she'd done. She just knew they'd be so proud of her.

* * *

Haruki stared up at the bright sky and sighed. She was so worried about her little girl. She hadn't been able to see her for so long and she hated being away from her, especially considering the circumstances were rather unpleasant. She blinked when she felt a delicate hand on her shoulder. "What is it, Mari-chan?" Haruki asked, giving the younger girl a shaky smile.

Mari returned the smile and gave Haruki's shoulder a small squeeze. "You all are really worried about Emiko-chan, aren't you?"

"I'm just glad my baby girl isn't going to be in the war." Haruki said softly. "I do worry about her, though. I hope Yamato and the others are making sure she eats properly. What if she's not getting enough sleep or she's training too hard?"

Mari couldn't help letting out a small giggle. "You're such a good mom. I wish my mom had loved me as much as you love Emiko-chan. She'll be okay, Haruki-senpai. Naruto-chan and Yamato-senpai won't let anything happen to her."

Haruki smiled and gave Mari a small hug. "Thank you, Mari-chan. Are you doing okay, being so far away from your village and everyone you know?"

"I'm fine." Mari said with a nonchalant shrug and grin. "I like getting meeting new people and Itachi-chan is a lot of fun to be around. I don't think he likes me much, though."

"Don't be silly. He likes you well enough." Haruki reassured. "He talks to you. He wouldn't talk to you if he didn't like you. He also probably would've killed you by now."

Both girls laughed for a good minute before finally calming down. Mari gave Haruki a serious and nervous look. "You're joking about him killing me, right?"

Haruki didn't get a chance to answer. Both Kakashi and Itachi walked back over from scouting. Itachi raised an eyebrow at the wide eyed look Mari was giving him. "What's wrong with you?"

Mari flung her arms around Itachi's waist and looked at him with wide eyes. "Please don't kill me, all mighty Uchiha! I promise I won't annoy you anymore!"

Itachi really wasn't sure what to do. Unsurely, he patted her head. "Uh, okay." Really, this woman was just too strange.


	99. Kisame Returns

**Supposedly, Kishimoto will be ending Naruto this year!**

**Sakura02: Lol, silly Uchiha. Yamikins must be saved asap!**

**Sexii-chan: I got a 2012 Ford Fiesta. It's super adorable :)**

**Masked Bard of Chaos: I'm sure most ninja children start swearing as soon as they can speak.**

**Thank you: ZabuzasGirl, Live-Laugh-Love-Till-The-End, Sparrowfeathers, Invincible Shadow, Hanoonee, Shifuni, EvilxLittlexNinja, Icealeena, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, katsekala, Good boy-chan, AkaneSukishima, symmetrygoddes, and ThatOneAsianGuy for reviewing!**

* * *

After Emiko had beaten her darker side, she and Motoi headed back to where Gai and Aoba were. Emiko had wanted to stay and wait for Naruto to come out, but Motoi had insisted that she needed to rest and eat something.

"Emiko, where have you been?" Gai asked excitedly when Motoi and Emiko came back. He gave the little girl a bright smile and ruffled her hair.

Emiko debated on whether or not she should bite his hand, but finally decided against it. She gave Gai a small smile and politely moved out from under his hand. "I was at the waterfall defeating the darkness within me. I can control wood now! Daddy and Mommy are going to be so proud of me when they see me!"

"Ah, to think you are my rival's daughter." Gai sniffed out dramatically. "At least you look more like your mother than him. Now, where is Naruto?"

Motoi quickly explained what was going on to Gai and Aoba. "What?" Gai screamed, his eyes widening dramatically. "You mean to tell me Naruto is going through such strenuous training while we simply sit around here? I cannot ignore a young man working so hard in the springtime of his youth! Take me to Naruto!"

"Is he always like this?" Motoi whispered to Aoba and Emiko.

Emiko nodded and smiled apologetically. "Yeah. He's really weird." The group made their way back towards the waterfall. Emiko and Motoi explained the waterfall to Aoba and Gai.

When they reached the waterfall, Gai looked at it rather suspiciously. "So, this is where Naruto defeated himself?"

Emiko nodded proudly. "I did too! You should defeat yourself too, Gai-sensei."

"Helping Naruto is more important!" Gai shouted loudly, making Motoi, Aoba, and Emiko flinch back a little.

"It was just a suggestion." Emiko grouched, crossing her arms petulantly over her chest. "You don't have to yell at me."

Aoba grinned and crouched down next to Emiko. "He's probably just scared to face himself."

Gai heard this and snarled. "I'm not scared!" He hopped onto the little island in front of the waterfall and squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

"He's so serious…" Emiko muttered. "I don't know how my daddy puts up with him." She would've said more, but there was sudden movement from behind the waterfall. The chakra had a familiar feeling to it, though it was slightly off. She tugged on Motoi's sleeve. She was about to speak when something flew out from behind the waterfall and headed straight for Gai. "Hey, Gai-sensei, look out!"

Gai, thinking he was facing himself, kicked the strange creature in the face and sent it flying into the wall. "Why is my true self an insect?"

Motoi sighed. "You are no longer facing yourself. The moment you open your eyes, you leave the Waterfall of Truth."

Emiko looked at the strange creature and frowned. She let out a small gasp when she realized it wasn't an insect at all. "Why are you here, 'Same?" She recognized Samehada now and Kisame's irritated face. She hopped over to the island Gai was on just as Killer Bee came through the waterfall.

Gai blinked and looked down at Emiko. "You know this puffer fish?"

"He's not a puffer fish!" Emiko shouted, stepping on Gai's foot.

"He's an Akatsuki spy." Killer Bee said, standing beside Emiko now. "You know him, right, Emiko?"

Emiko nodded slowly, watching Kisame with curious and sad eyes. When Samehada pulled away and abandoned him, she saw how debilitated and weak he looked. "He's one of the people that raised me."

"You look well, Em." Kisame grunted out, his usual nasty smirk on his face. "You better just keep out of the way. I don't want to hurt you if I can avoid it."

Emiko clenched her hands at her side and bit her lip. She briefly tore her eyes away from Kisame to look over at Samehada speaking to Killer Bee. She didn't notice Kisame slip into the water.

Killer Bee gave out a hearty laugh when Samehada bit his arm. "Hey now, your love is a bit rough! What can I say? I'm popular, so life is tough."

"You idiot!" Emiko shouted, trying to figure out what she could do to separate Samehada from Killer Bee. "'Same is using Samehada to steal your chakra!" She rolled her eyes when Killer Bee fell to the ground. "The stronger they are, the dumber…" She muttered, helping the weakened Jinchuriki to sit up.

Kisame came out of the water, no longer weakened. He smirked over at Emiko and quickly knocked Aoba unconscious. He made his escape into the water with one of his shark bombs. "See you later, Em."

Emiko blinked, surprised he hadn't tried to take her to Madara and Orochimaru. "'Same…"

"We've got to catch him before he gets out of the island's barrier!" Motoi said, more agitated than he had ever been since they'd arrived. "If he escapes, even I won't be able to sense him."

"I'll stop him!" Gai proclaimed, opening the sixth of the eight inner gates. He grinned over at Emiko. "You stay here, Emiko. You shouldn't see this."

Emiko didn't argue. She sat on the small island, watching Killer Bee launch Gai in the air and into the direction that Kisame had gone. She didn't want to lose Kisame. He was one of the few remaining members of the Akatsuki that was still alive. She was torn from her thoughts by Killer Bee collapsing beside her. "Are you okay?"

"Too much chakra was stolen from you." Aoba said. "We've got to do something before he gets away."

"I'll go get Naru-chan!" Emiko said, leaping up and rushing back behind the waterfall. It didn't take her long to find Yamato and Naruto. Yamato looked up from binding up Naruto's twisted ankle when he heard Emiko shouting. Emiko flung her arms around Naruto's neck and let out a small sob. "Naru-chan, you've got to help stop 'Same. He's going to tell Madara and Orochimaru everything!"

Naruto wrapped his arms around Emiko and looked at the distraught girl. "Are you okay with that?"

Emiko didn't say anything for a moment. "I don't want anymore of my precious people to get hurt. If 'Same tells Madara and Orochimaru everything, then we won't be able to beat them."

"Okay." Naruto stood up and began walking out, Yamato and Emiko close on his heels. He looked down at the little girl. "You stay here, Emiko. You won't want to see this."

Emiko puffed her cheeks out and grabbed Naruto's hand. "I'm coming with you. Maybe…maybe I can talk 'Same out of what he's doing. Maybe he'll listen to me."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I seriously doubt he's going to listen to you." He squeezed her hand and gave her a grin. "No matter what happens, I'm right here."

Emiko smiled at Naruto. "Thank you, Naru-chan."


	100. Do You Still Love Me?

**Finally, I'm getting back on a decent schedule! Thank you all for being so patient with me these past couple of months! Updates should start becoming more regular!**

**Sakura02: I don't know why the first thing small children resort to is biting, but it always is!**

**Miss Pein: My car is this really pretty blue color. Yes, I will actually be doing the war which I'm very excited about.**

**Live-Laugh-Love-Till-The-End: I liked Insidious. It was a fun little horror movie. According to an article I read, Kishimoto said in an interview that Naruto will be ending this year. Not sure if it's true or not. Bleach is in its final arc which makes me so sad!**

**My brain hurts: I can sort of see your point about too many chapters, I suppose. Quite honestly, when I started this story, I didn't think it would be more than 50 or so chapters. If I had known it was going to be this long, I probably would've split it between Naruto and Shippuden. There doesn't seem to be much point in starting a sequel now, though, so I hope you can bear with the number of chapters and continue to enjoy the story.**

**Thanks: Sparrowfeathers, Good boy-chan, Hanoonee, Masked Bard of Chaos, Icealeena, EvilxLittlexNinja, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, Sukaretto Miyuki, Sexii-chan, symmetrygoddess, AnimeCrazed121, Random Fan, Kacie, RandomAwesomer101 for reviewing!**

**Over 2,200 reviews for sweet little Emiko! Thank you all so much for reading and supporting this story! Also, this is the 100th chapter of Akatsuki Baby! I never thought this story would go on for so long or be this popular!**

* * *

_"Em, what are you staring at?" Kisame looked over at the little toddler. It was his day to watch little Emiko and she had whined and pouted until he had taken her outside. Kisame was sitting beside Emiko next to the lake close to the hideout. He kept a firm hand on the collar of Emiko's dress so the little girl wouldn't fall into the water._

_Emiko splashed her hand excitedly in the water. "Fishy!"_

_Kisame peered into the water and saw that there was indeed a good number of fish swimming about. "You want to go swimming with the fish?"_

_Emiko nodded excitedly. "Go swimming! Go swimming!" She hopped up and down, waiting impatiently for Kisame to take her in the water. _

_Kisame picked Emiko up and walked into the water. Once he was about halfway out, he put Emiko in the water. He kept a firm grip on her little hands. "Kick your legs, Em."_

_Emiko did as Kisame told her. She kicked her chubby toddler legs through the water. She squealed in delight as Kisame walked around the water. "Swimming!"_

_It always amazed Kisame how relaxed Emiko was around people like him and Kakuzu. Most toddlers would run in fear from at the sight of Kisame's teeth alone. Not Emiko, though. After half an hour of swimming, Kisame pulled Emiko out of the water. _

_"'Same, say 'ahhhh'!" Emiko suddenly said, opening her mouth wide to show Kisame what she meant._

_Kisame blinked, but did as the little girl asked of him. He was surprised when Emiko's chubby little fingers poked at his sharp teeth. He took her hands in one of his and looked at Emiko's curious face. "Do my teeth scare you?"_

_Emiko shook her head and smiled up at Kisame. "Nope. 'Same isn't scary. I love 'Same this much!" She held her arms out as wide as her short arms could go. "'Same love me too?"_

_Kisame cracked a small smile. "Yes, I love you too, Em."_

* * *

Emiko clung tightly to Naruto's hand. They were rushing towards where Kisame and Gai were fighting each other. Emiko did her best to keep her face neutral, but her insides were completely knotted up. She didn't want to lose Kisame.

Yamato pulled everyone to a halt at the sight of a large blue aura heading towards them. "That's Gai's Eight Inner Gates move, the Hirudora, The Afternoon Tiger."

Naruto crinkled his nose. "Seriously, that's what he calls that move? That's a pretty lame name."

Emiko nodded in agreement. She tilted her head to the side curiously. "Is it getting closer to us?"

"Everyone, brace yourselves!" Yamato shouted. "The Hirudora has a wide blast radius and it's heading straight towards us!"

Naruto crouched down and hugged Emiko tight to him. "Hold on to me, Emiko."

Emiko buried her face in Naruto's neck and held on tightly. She silently prayed that Kisame was all right and that Gai hadn't hurt him too badly. It was at times like this that Emiko almost wished that she was still a toddler, and that she had never left the hideout. She missed the days when she was younger and everyone was still alive. "'Same…"

* * *

_"Hey, 'Same, look what I made for you!" A four year old Emiko rushed over to where Kisame was sitting in the kitchen. She held up a piece of paper proudly to Kisame._

_Kisame took the paper from the little girl and frowned curiously. "What is it?"_

_"It's you and me!" Emiko answered, pointing to a blue scribble and then to a pink scribble. The blue scribble had what looked like pointy teeth scrawled in the general vicinity of where the mouth should be. "See, it's your sharp teeth!"_

_"Thanks, Em." Kisame said, ruffling the little girl's hair. "You still aren't scared of my teeth?"_

_Emiko shook her head. "Nope, because I love you this much!" She held her arms out which were now able to reach further than when she was a toddler. "Do you love me, 'Same?"_

_Kisame pulled Emiko into his lap and nodded. "Yes, I love you too, Em."_

* * *

Emiko lingered back while Naruto and the others praised Gai for having taken Kisame down on his own. Kisame was locked up in a stockade and was knocked unconscious. Emiko had to bite her lip to keep from crying. She walked forward and placed a hand on Kisame's cheek.

Aoba put a hand on Emiko's shoulder and gently moved her aside. "We won't kill him unless we have to." He placed his hand on Kisame's head and began reading his memories.

Naruto took Emiko's hand back in his. "You're being very brave. Are you okay?"

"No." Emiko answered honestly. "I hate this. I hate how everyone is fighting. It's all Madara's fault. I'll never forgive him."

Naruto squeezed Emiko's hand and kissed her cheek. "Don't let hatred take over you, okay?"

"I won't." Emiko promised. "Thank you, Naru-chan." Her attention and everyone else's was immediately drawn back to Kisame when he let out an angry roar and Aoba let out a startled yelp. "'Same!" Emiko shouted when she saw the blood dripping from his mouth.

"He bit his own tongue to wake himself up!" Aoba shouted.

Kisame locked himself in his water prison jutsu along with his summoned sharks. He looked over at Emiko, unable to hear whatever the little girl was shouting at him. He could see the tears rolling down Emiko's cheeks and the frightened look on her face. He placed his hand against the wall of water and gave a small smile. _Emiko, do you still love me? _He thought, knowing she couldn't hear him. He was surprised when Emiko stretched her arms out as wide as she could. He saw her mouth moving and was able to read her lips.

_I love you this much, 'Same! Do you still love me?_

_Yes, I love you too, Em._ Kisame mouthed to the little girl just as the sharks tore into him.

Emiko screamed and sobbed. She barely felt Naruto wrapping his arms around her. She couldn't hear what he was saying to her. She struggled in vain against Naruto's strong grip, trying to reach Kisame even though she knew there was nothing she could do for him. "'Same! 'Same!"

Naruto pulled the sobbing child close to him and turned her face away from the sight. "Don't look, Emiko."

Emiko continued sobbing. Kisame was gone and dead. She hadn't been able to do anything. She looked up when she felt something rough rubbing against her. She looked through her tears at Samehada who was rubbing against her and cooing sorrowfully. Emiko wrapped her arms around the sword and cried with him.

Naruto knelt down and smoothed Emiko's hair down. "He was pretty amazing. He died instead of giving up intel on his comrades. Even members of Akatsuki are loyal to their own."

Gai nodded his head. "Even though he was an enemy, that was an admirable feat. The measure of a shinobi's life is determined by his death. I swear to remember Hoshigaki Kisame for the rest of my life."

Emiko managed a small smile and wiped some of the tears from her eyes. "I'll miss you, 'Same. I know that you never believed me when I said I wasn't scared of you. I never was, though. I knew you would never hurt me. I love you so much." She let out another sob and buried her face in Naruto's side.

Aoba held up the scroll with all the information that Kisame had gathered. "We should confirm the contents of the scroll. If we know what they're interested in, we can plan a counter attack."

Gai nodded and took the scroll from Aoba. He slowly pulled it open. Nobody had time to react as they were all suddenly trapped in water prisons and one of Kisame's sharks snatched the scroll away.

Emiko didn't have much time to focus on the shark getting away with the scroll as she was distracted by the shark in the water prison with her. Emiko swam and dodged to avoid getting eaten by the shark. Could things possibly get any worse?


	101. Mama

**Good boy-chan: Haha, thank you! I'm very excited that this story is so long and has been doing so well. **

**Hanoonee: Yes, sadly, this chapter is about Konan dying as well as a few other things. Of course the other Akatsuki members will appear during the war :) **

**Sakura02: I know :( Poor Kisame got eaten by his own sharks. **

**Thanks: TA-twinArmageddons, ZabuzasGirl, Miss Pein, Shifuni, RandomAwesomer101, Masked Bard of Chaos, AnimeCrazed121, xXMiyakoXSasukeXx, AkaneSukishima, katsekala, Phoenix, xXLilMissCellist-4Xx, TheParadoxicalOtaku, Foxdenrider, EvilxLittlexNinja, Sparrowfeathers, Icealeena, ShadowFoxAngel, Random Fan, and Rei Sin for reviewing!**

* * *

_"Emiko, what did you do?" Konan sighed and rubbed her temple. She'd only been gone for a few hours to get some new clothes and she'd left Deidara in charge. She'd come home only to find Deidara tied to a chair and Emiko playing in a puddle made from the somehow broken sink. _

_The toddler grinned up at Konan and continued splashing her hands in the water. "Hi, Mama! I missed you!"_

_Konan scooped Emiko up. She walked right by the still tied up Deidara and took Emiko straight to the bathroom to get the little girl cleaned up. She took her into the bathroom and immediately began drawing her a bath. "Honestly, Emiko, what am I going to do with you?"_

_Emiko frowned and allowed Konan to quickly strip her and put her in the tub. She reached out with her tiny little hand and grabbed onto Konan's sleeve. "I sorry, Mama. Are you mad?"_

_Konan couldn't help smiling. She placed a small kiss on Emiko's forehead. "Of course not. You're my sweet little angel. I could never be mad at you."_

_"You're the best mama in the whole world!" Emiko beamed, resting her head on her mama's arm. She looked up at Konan with wide onyx eyes. "I love you, Mama."_

_"I love you too, my sweet little angel." Konan said with a bright smile. _

* * *

"Gai-sensei, you okay?" Emiko poked him in the arm. She blinked when he began convulsing violently. Her heart was heavy and painful. It was more than just Kisame's death that was weighing heavy on her heart now. She had felt the death only minutes after they had managed to escape the water prisons. She had felt Konan's life slip away. She'd felt the agony and pain Konan had felt as she died. She didn't realize tears were slipping from her eyes until Naruto reached over and brushed them away.

Naruto gave Emiko a smile and kept his hand on her cheek. "It's all right, Emiko. Everything is going to be okay."

Emiko shook her head, tears still falling from her eyes. She placed her hand over Naruto's and tried to smile through her sadness. "No, it's not. Mama is dead."

Yamato and the others suddenly became alarmed. "Haruki-san is dead?" Yamato shouted in alarm.

"No, not Mommy!" Emiko said quickly, her voice wavering. "Mama is dead. My Akatsuki Mama. Somebody killed her…somebody took her away from me…" She let out another sob, barely feeling Naruto wrap his arms around her.

* * *

_"Mama, look at me!" Emiko twirled around in her new dress. The four year old smiled pr__oudly up at her mama. _

_Konan stopped reading her scroll and looked up. She smiled and held her arms out to Emiko. Once she had the little girl in her arms, she pulled Emiko up into her lap. She cooed and nuzzled her cheek with Emiko's. "You're getting so big now, my sweet little angel."_

_Emiko grinned up at Konan. She hugged her mama tightly. "I wanna be big and pretty, just like you, Mama!"_

_"Is that so?" Konan ran her fingers through Emiko's long black hair. "Your hair is getting so long. Maybe we should cut it."_

_Emiko's eyes widened in horror. "No! I want it to grow out! I want it to be just as pretty as your hair, Mama!"_

_Konan sighed and thought for a moment. "Well, you can't just wear it loose like that." She pulled a few pieces of paper out and made a paper flower, just like the one she had in her hair. She pulled Emiko's hair up into a bun and then pinned the flower into her hair. _

_Emiko gently felt the flower in her hair. Her eyes lit up and she hugged Konan. "You're the best mama in the whole world! I love you, Mama!"_

_Konan smiled and kissed Emiko's forehead. "I love you too, my sweet little angel."_

* * *

"What's going on?" Emiko asked Yamato. Yamato and Motoi had suddenly insisted that they needed to move the animals to safety.

Yamato looked over to make sure that Naruto and Killer Bee were not paying attention. He knelt down by the still sad and sullen child. She hadn't been speaking much the past couple of hours and had stuck relatively close to Naruto the whole time. "We have to move Naruto and Killer Bee to safety. The Akatsuki…"

"They're not the Akatsuki." Emiko said quietly. "The Akatsuki was my papa, my mama, and the others. This is just Madara and Orochimaru. They don't deserve to use the name Akatsuki."

Yamato gave Emiko a sad smile and nodded. "Right. I'm sorry, Emiko. Madara and Orochimaru may now know our location. We need to move Naruto and Killer Bee to safety. Having them move the animals to safety is a great cover for this. Emiko, I need you to be on high alert."

"I will be." Emiko promised. She didn't know exactly who it was that had killed Konan, but she had a good idea of who it was. The anger and hatred boiling up inside her frightened her. "I won't let him hurt Naru-chan or Bee-chan."

"Hey, Emiko, come here!" Naruto shouted, motioning for the little girl to join him and Killer Bee.

Emiko skipped away from Yamato and over to Naruto. She immediately latched onto Naruto's arm and buried her face in his side. She was trying her best to keep it together, but everything was hurting. There were so many emotions coursing through her, and she just didn't know what to do about any of them. "What's wrong, Naru-chan?"

Naruto poked at a giant armadillo that was completely curled in on itself. "I can't tell if this is a boy or girl?"

Before Emiko could answer, the whole island suddenly began to shake violently. Emiko screamed and clung tightly to Naruto for support. "What's happening?"

Naruto crouched down and curled himself around Emiko protectively. "Hold on, Emiko."

Everything was rocking and shaking and spinning. Emiko was beginning to feel very ill. She wasn't sure anymore if her body was shaking from the quaking island or because of how queasy she was feeling. She buried her face in Naruto's chest and whimpered. "Naru-chan, I don't feel good…"

Naruto looked down and noticed how pale Emiko was. "Hey, Emiko, please tell me you're not having an attack right now!"

Emiko's glare was a weak and pathetic one. She couldn't come up with a snappy remark as a violent coughing fit suddenly racked her body. Blood was dribbling down her chin and she couldn't stop coughing.

"Yamato-taicho, Emiko's not doing too good over here!" Naruto shouted.

Emiko's vision was fading in and out. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to stay conscience. Her grip on Naruto loosened. The only thing that kept her from falling was Naruto tightening his grip on her.

"Emiko…Emiko!" Naruto's face grew blurry before everything faded away to black.

* * *

Emiko felt a soft hand on her face. At first, she was confused because she knew Naruto didn't have such soft hands nor did Killer Bee or any others on the island with her. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself blinded by a bright light. When her eyes adjusted, she began crying. "Mama…"

Konan smiled down at Emiko with gentle grey eyes. "My sweet little angel, I'm so glad you're okay."

Emiko sat up and immediately latched onto Konan. She cried and buried her face in Konan's shoulder. "Mama, I'm so sorry…"

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Konan said softly. She kissed the top of Emiko's head and ran her fingers through the little girl's hair.

"Seriously, why is it every time you show up here, you're crying?" Hidan grouched from beside Konan.

Konan glared angrily over at Hidan. "Don't you talk to her that way!"

Emiko couldn't help laughing. She looked over and saw Kisame sitting a few feet away. She smiled and waved at the shark man. "Hi, 'Same."

Kisame grinned over at the little girl. He reached over and ruffled her hair. "Hey, Em. Sorry you had to see what you saw."

"It's okay…" Emiko said quietly. She looked around curiously, suddenly realizing that there were quite a few missing faces in the field. "Where's Papa, Deidei, Danna, and everyone else?"

"They've been brought back to life." Hidan answered, earning him a harsh glare from Konan.

Emiko blinked and looked curiously over at Hidan. "What do you mean?"

Konan sighed and rocked Emiko. "Orochimaru has used a forbidden jutsu to bring people back from the dead in the war. He brought Nagato and the others back to life…"


	102. Down Time

**I'm sorry for being gone so long. Hope you'll all enjoy this chapter!**

**Hanoonee: Hidan isn't technically dead. His head is buried somewhere in a forest… at least, that's what I understood when I read the manga.**

**EvilxLittlexNinja: Yes, Hidan is immortal, but I just wanted him to be there. I figured he's bored down there in the hole so he goes and visits the others too.**

**Sakura02: Lol, baby Emiko probably shoved one of her pacifiers in his mouth to keep him quiet XD**

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan: Tobi killed Konan**

**TNTkitten: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long :(. I don't have an official title for my novel, just a working one. I'm hoping to start sending it to agents by the end of the summer :) **

**XxAmi. IzunexX: School has definitely been keeping me from updating as frequently as I would like. There have been a few times where I've gotten tired of writing, and I've thought about stopping, but then I see all my awesome reviewers have been reading and it really helps me to keep writing :)**

**Thank you: ZabuzasGirl, katsekala, AkaneSukishima, BANEHiwatari, Thunder Krystal, Tainted. Scarlet, Masked Bard of Chaos, Good boy-chan, zeengy, TheParadoxicalOtaku, Warrior of Sangre, xXMiyakoXSasukeXx, TA-twinArmageddons, Icealeena, Phoenix, Kacie, ShizukaRen-Hime, , Uzu-chan11, JOE ROMBIE, Charna, EtherealGrace, and Aoi Kazuya for reviewing.**

* * *

Emiko slowly opened her eyes. She tried to sit up, but found herself being held tightly. She looked up into the face of a sleeping Naruto whom was holding her in his arms. She felt weak, like she always did after having an attack. She reached out and tentatively touched Naruto's cheek, causing him to stir.

Naruto looked down at Emiko and grinned at her. "Hey, you scared us there, Emiko. You feeling okay now?"

Emiko shook her head slowly. Thoughts came rushing back to her. She looked up at Naruto, tears welling up in her eyes. "Mama is dead…"

"I'm so sorry, Emiko." Naruto said, hugging the little girl close. He held her while she sobbed into his jacket, crying for the loss of Konan. He rocked back and forth with her until she finally calmed down. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. "No more coughing?"

"No." Emiko said softly. "I'm sorry. I was completely useless again."

Naruto grinned down at her. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're okay. Don't worry; we're almost done with this mission and then we'll get you home to rest. We've got to be ready for when Sasuke shows up."

Emiko opened her mouth to say something, but then she remembered that Naruto didn't know about the war. Naruto didn't know that everyone was going to war to protect him and Killer Bee. She gave him a small smile and slowly nodded her head. "Right." She looked curiously around. "Where's Yamato?"

"He's out looking around to see what happened with the island." Naruto answered.

Emiko slipped out of Naruto's arms. "I'm going to go look for him. You stay here and keep categorizing all the animals."

Naruto gave Emiko a mock salute. "Yes ma'am!"

Emiko giggled and skipped away. As soon as she was out of Naruto's sight, her smile slipped away. Her stomach was in knots over what Konan had told her about the Akatsuki being brought back. She had to find Yamato and tell him what she'd learned as quickly as possible. She would never forgive Madara or Orochimaru for using her family like that. She was going to make sure that they paid.

* * *

"Itachi-chan, what's wrong?" Mari sat beside the silent Uchiha on her knees, her hands clutching her pants. She tilted her head and blinked curiously at Itachi.

Itachi gave Mari a half-hearted glare. "Why do you insist on calling me that? I've asked you repeatedly not to, and yet you continue to do so. Are all Iwagakure shinobi as annoying as you and Deidara?"

Mari was silent for a minute before giggling. "I do it because it's just so much fun to see how annoyed you get. I mean, Uchihas are known to be so stoic and serious. It's just fun to see someone so serious get so annoyed."

Itachi opened and closed his mouth a few times. There were quite a few choice words that came to Itachi's mind, but none of them would come out. Finally, he let out an annoyed sigh and shoved Mari's face away from him. "You have to be the strangest, most annoying woman I have ever met."

Mari let out another giggle. Undeterred, she scooted back closer to Itachi. She rested her chin on his shoulder and grinned when he didn't bother shrugging her off. "Hey, Itachi-san, how was Deidara when he was in the Akatsuki?"

"He was…loud." Itachi said after a moment, glad that she was no longer calling him 'chan'. "He was obsessed with his explosions and art."

Mari hummed and nodded. "That sounds like my Deidara. He's always been on the obnoxious side."

Itachi turned his head slightly to look at Mari. "Your Deidara?"

"Don't be jealous, Itachi-san." Mari sang, throwing her arms around his shoulders and nuzzling her head against his. "Deidara and I were just really good friends. Your much more my time than Deidara ever was."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel better." Itachi muttered.

Mari grinned. "You're not pushing me away." She sang. Mari yelped when Itachi shoved her off of him.

Itachi rolled his eyes while Mari pouted at him. "How exactly did Emiko know you?"

Mari sat back up, scooting back beside Itachi, but not touching him. "I met her on a mission. I was supposed to gather some scrolls that she apparently needed. I decided to give them to her since she helped take care of Deidara when he was still alive." Mari stared thoughtfully up at the night sky. "Emiko is a good girl, considering she was raised by a bunch of criminals…not that you're a criminal, Itachi-san!"

"Emiko was not raised in the most…ideal situation for a child." Itachi said quietly. "I'm surprised at how well she turned out myself. She has a lot of Haruki in her…"

Mari stared at Itachi's face thoughtfully for a minute. "You're in love with Haruki-senpai."

Itachi didn't answer for a moment. "Yes…but she is with Kakashi-san. Emiko finally has the family that she deserves, and I will not be the person that takes that away from her." He blinked when he felt Mari kiss his cheek.

Mari grinned at Itachi. "Don't worry, Itachi-san. I'm sure you'll find a girl that will put up with you someday."

"Thanks…I think." Itachi said with a frown. He felt Mari rest her head on his shoulder, but he didn't say anything or move away from her.

* * *

"Kakashi, I think we have enough firewood." Haruki said, her arms completely full of firewood, as were Kakashi's.

"No…no…I think we still need more." Kakashi muttered.

Haruki rolled her eyes. "We need to get back to Mari and Itachi. I'm worried Itachi might snap and kill the poor girl." She blinked and tilted her head to the side when Kakashi abruptly dropped the firewood in his arms. "What's wrong, Kakashi?"

"Put the firewood down, Haruki." Kakashi said quietly.

Nervously, Haruki put the firewood down. "Is something wrong? You're not still mad about our fight are you? I thought we cleared all that up about me and Itachi."

Kakashi stood there for a moment and just watched Haruki twiddling her fingers and rambling on and on. After a minute, he put his hands on her shoulders. "Haruki, be quiet."

Haruki closed her mouth and nodded slowly. She looked up at Kakashi with wide, nervous eyes.

Kakashi took a deep breath before speaking. "Haruki, we have a seven year old daughter together. We're going to war and honestly, I don't know if either of us will live through it…"

"You don't want to be with me anymore?" Haruki gasped out, her eyes wider than before.

Kakashi put a hand over Haruki's mouth and playfully glared at her. "Haruki, be quiet." He pulled something out of his pocket that Haruki didn't see. "If we live through this war, I want the two of us to be together…hush!" He said when he saw Haruki opening her mouth. "I want you to close your eyes."

Haruki obeyed, closing her eyes and remaining very still. She felt Kakashi lift her hand up and something cool being slipped on her ring finger.

"You haven't even seen it and you're already crying?" Kakashi teased.

Haruki opened her eyes, letting out a choked sob. "S-Shut up, Kakashi." She brought her right hand up and looked at the simple diamond ring on her finger. She threw her arms around Kakashi's neck and showered his face with kisses. "I love you, Kakashi. We'll survive this war. We'll go home to Konoha with our daughter, and we'll get married."

Kakashi grinned and held Haruki close. "Ready to go back?"

"I'm sure Itachi and Mari-chan are doing fine." Haruki said with a smile. "They'll be fine by themselves for just a little longer."


	103. The War Begins

**Sorry I've been gone so long everyone! Been going through a lot these past few months. On the plus side, I did finish the fourth draft of my novel! Two more drafts before I start sending it out to agents. So excited! I apologize for how short this chapter is. We got a new little kitten and she is taking up almost all of my time now. Next chapter will be much longer, I promise!**

**XxAmi. IzunexX: quantum physics is the branch of physics based on quantum theory. Quantum theory is a theory of matter and energy based on the concept of quanta. Sorry. I'm not a huge physics person so those were the definitions I found. My novel is coming along really well. I'm very excited to be done with it soon.**

**TA-twinArmageddons: Thanks so much for letting me know about Hidan! I was never really sure what happened with Hidan or not :)**

**EtherealGrace: I don't really want to give too much about my novel away. It's a young adult fantasy novel is all I'll say for now :)**

**Sakura02: Shhhhh…I mixed up the hands. Leave me be!**

**Thanks: Masked Bard of Chaos, AkaneSukishima, ZabuzasGirl, Good boy-chan, Meatbun Attack, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, KuraiSorako, katsekala, Rmc01, EvilxLittlexNinja, Live-Laugh-Love-Till-The-End, Woodshrew, Shadowblood13, Kacie, Phoenix, gum drops, xCoolxStoryxBrox, akatsukiclan12, and chris coard for reviewing.**

**2,300 reviews! You guys are so awesome! Thank you for your continued support!**

* * *

"Hey, Emiko, the world flipped over again!" Naruto huffed in annoyance. He went over to the little girl and rested his hand on her head. "There's something really weird happening on this island." He looked thoughtfully around. "Where's Yamato-taicho? He better not have gotten hurt during the earthquake."

Emiko opened and closed her mouth a few times. When she'd gone off to find Yamato and the others earlier, she'd found only Aoba and Motoi. They had quickly explained to her that Yamato had been captured by Kabuto and taken away. Motoi had told Emiko to simply tell Naruto that Yamato was surveying the island. Emiko looked up in Naruto's blue eyes. She just couldn't find the words to lie to him anymore.

"He's still investigating." Aoba said once he realized Emiko wasn't going to say anything. "Don't worry; I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Naruto huffed in annoyance. "We finished the mission, though! I want to go back to Konoha and wait for Sasuke!" He glared angrily over at the animals that were beginning to file out of the shelter. "Why do they get to go outside and not me?"

"We need to stay in here, Naru-chan!" Emiko clung tightly to Naruto's hand to try and keep him from going outside.

Killer Bee quickly jumped in to intervene. "You still haven't mastered Biju chakra control. Your training, I will personally patrol."

Emiko rolled her eyes. "That doesn't even make any sense." She sat down against the wall and watched Killer Bee instruct Naruto on how to stack the blocks using his Biju chakra. She tapped her foot impatiently, a million thoughts rushing through her head. Was Yamato okay? If he was, how long would he stay that way?

* * *

"We're finally here!" Mari squealed. She looked over to see Itachi's serious and thoughtful face. He hadn't spoken much since Haruki had joyfully announced that she and Kakashi were engaged. Mari went over and tugged on his arm. "Come on, Itachi-chan. We need to go find our unit."

"You two be careful." Haruki shouted, waving as the two disappeared into the crowd of shinobi and samurai. She sighed and twisted her hands together. "We better go take our own places. You've got a lot of work ahead of you, Third Company Captain."

Kakashi grinned nervously. "I'll see you in a bit." He gave Haruki a quick kiss before going off to join the other commanders.

Haruki rushed off to join the rest of the third company. She found them easily enough. It was hard to miss Gai foaming at the mouth on the ground with Sakura and Lee trying to help him. Haruki sighed and knelt down next to Gai. "What happened to you? I hope Emiko wasn't that much of a handful."

Gai looked up at Haruki. "She's fine. We had a run in with one of the Akatsuki. I may have gone a bit overboard."

Haruki chewed worriedly on her bottom lip. She and the others stood when Gaara and the other commanders appeared on the ridge above them. She couldn't help the proud smile on her face at seeing Kakashi up there. Amidst all the loud chatter, Haruki could hear a couple angry voices rising over the other voices. "I guess it was too much to hope everyone would just get along."

"There's a lot of hatred between all the different shinobi countries." Sakura sighed out.

Gaara's voice broke through all the chatter and angry shouting. "In the name of profit for one's nation and village, shinobi have hated and hurt each other for many years. That hatred desired power, and I was born. In the past, I was hatred, power, and a Jinchuriki. I hated the world and all the people in it. I often thought about destroying both. One Konoha shinobi stopped me! Even though I was his enemy, that shinobi cried for me! He called me his friend even though we had fought one another…"

Haruki couldn't help smiling as Gaara continued his speech, eventually ending it with rallying all the shinobi together at last. "I'm glad…"

Sakura looked curiously over at Haruki. "About what, Haruki-sensei?"

"I'm just so glad that Emiko has been able to meet such amazing people in her life. Naruto-kun…Gaara-san…and you too, Sakura-chan." Haruki placed a hand on the teen girl's shoulder and smiled. "You've all helped make Emiko into the sweet girl that she is today."

Sakura grinned. "She's got a lot of you in her, Haruki-sensei."

* * *

"Naru-chan, you did it!" Emiko squealed in joy, jumping up from her spot against the wall.

Naruto let out a whoop of joy and looked proudly at the precariously stacked blocks. "Finally! It took forever!"

Killer Bee nodded approvingly. "Are you ready for the final drill? It'll be hard, but once you've mastered it, it'll be a thrill."

Emiko rolled her eyes again. "Why do you always have to rhyme? I really don't see the point of it." She fidgeted nervously with her dress. Thoughts of her mother, her father, Itachi, and all the others fighting in the war. She silently prayed that they would all be safe and all right. She hoped the war ended soon and that they could all go home.


	104. Return of Sasori and Deidara

**Sakura02: Lol, I could totally picture that happening!  
TA-twinArmageddons: I know! When I first started this story, I thought it'd be 50 chapters max. I'll definitely be sad when it does finally end.**

**Thank you: ZabuzasGirl, katsekala, Phoenix, Warrior of Sangre, karin taicho, Good boy-chan, RosesnLillyz, EvilxLittlexNinja, Aniwolfgirl, Gaara-kunsgirl, Guest, and rmc01 for your reviews!**

* * *

"Stop it." Itachi grit out, glaring over his shoulder at the shinobi girl sitting behind him. He was slightly relieved that he was not on the same unit as Haruki and Kakashi. At the same time, he was worried about Haruki and whether she would be all right or not.

Mari's grin widened. She wrapped her arms around Itachi's waist and gave him a light squeeze. She rested her chin on Itachi's shoulder. "Just because you're upset, don't take it out on me. Why didn't you ever say anything to her?" She received a rough shrug from Itachi for her trouble. Mari rolled her eyes and lifted her head up off his shoulder. She rested her head against his back. "Whenever you feel like talking, I'll listen."

Itachi didn't have a chance to respond as Kankuro signaled for the unit to land. Itachi managed to dismount from the ink bird without stumbling. He shrugged Mari's hand off when she tried to help him steady himself. "What is the plan?"

Kankuro eyed Itachi warily. He still wasn't one hundred percent on board having a former Akatsuki member on his team. He cleared his throat before beginning to speak. "We'll build our stronghold here and make this our mini-base since we're already inside enemy territory. We can head out from here to launch surprise attacks and set time-delayed explosive traps." He quickly instructed all of the group on what to do. "Sai, you'll remain on aerial surveillance. Zaji, Hoheto, and Mari, you three are on sensory and watch duty. Kiri, Itachi, and I will continue going over our strategy."

"If you need anything, just shout, Itachi-chan." Mari sang before following after the other two in her group. "I am your Seeing Eye ninja after all."

Itachi glared at the blurry outline of Mari's retreating back. He quickly regained his composure and followed Kankuro and Kiri.

While the others were keeping watch and setting up the base, Kankuro, Kiri, and Itachi went through what their best course of action would be. Kankuro glanced over at Itachi. "How's Emiko been doing? The last time I saw her was at the Kage meeting."

Itachi was silent for a moment. "She is…all right. She's learned to control her powers. I swear she gets more stubborn with each passing day. I'm amazed they were able to convince her to stay out of the war. I apologize if she ever caused you any trouble."

Kankuro smirked. "Nah. She's a good kid. Stubborn and willful, but an all-around good kid." He glanced over at the watch group just as Mari's entire body stiffened. "What is it?"

Mari's eyes scanned the line of trees before her. "I'm not sure…something is coming, but I can't tell…"

"There's a jamming jutsu in place." Zaji said quietly. His eyes widened as a shinobi fell to the ground a few feet away. "That's Aburame Muta!" Zaji leapt from his hiding spot, ignoring the shouts from Mari and the others.

"Hoheto!" Kankuro shouted to the Hyuuga on the team.

Mari barely gave Itachi a spare glance as he landed beside her. She watched warily as Zaji helped Muta to sit up. "Something isn't right. I can sense a chakra in that bag…it's so familiar…"

The entire group was startled when Muta suddenly grabbed Zaji in a chokehold and began running straight towards them. "There's a large white mass of chakra inside of Muta's beetle sack!"

Mari's eyes widened at the piece of information. She only knew of one person who used chakra like that. He was dead, though. She'd read the report of how he'd died battling Uchiha Sasuke. "Deidara…"

"Mari!" Itachi quickly grabbed Mari and pulled her back just as one of the shinobi on their team created a giant earth wall to protect them from the explosion. He curled himself around her so that any falling debris hit his back and didn't reach her. "Focus, you idiot." He hissed out. Luckily, not much in the way of debris had gotten through the wall.

Mari blinked slowly, her grip on the front of Itachi's cloak so tight that her knuckles were white. She took a deep breath and quickly composed herself. "Thanks, Itachi."

Itachi helped her to stand up, keeping one arm around her waist so she wouldn't fall. "I thought you were supposed to be taking care of me, not the other way around."

"You're right." Mari said, her usual grin back on her face. "It won't happen again, Itachi-chan." She looked over at the clearly shaken Zaji whose life had been saved by Kankuro's puppet strings. "I'm okay now, Itachi-chan. You can let me go."

Itachi release Mari while Kankuro quickly ordered everyone to prepare for the next attack. "Are you going to be all right?"

Mari grinned over at Itachi. "You're so sweet, Itachi-chan. I'll be fine. In fact, I hope Deidara shows up. I owe him a good beating for everything he put me and our village through." She slammed her right fist into her open left palm.

Itachi gave a small smirk. There was the Mari he was used to. He looked up in time to see Sai slam into the back of an enemy attempting to come over the wall.

"Way to go, Sai-chan!" Mari cheered. She froze when an all too familiar clay bird came down from the sky and hovered directly in front of them. Two of their allies were being manipulated by chakra strings that Mari couldn't see. Her sole focus was trained on the blonde a few feet from her. "Deidara!"

"I'm surprised to see you here, Mari-chan, un." Deidara laughed out. His eyes landed on Itachi and all the humor vanished from his face. "Uchiha…"

"You could've killed Emiko when you fought my brother." Itachi said, his voice going completely cold.

Deidara let out a snort of indignation. "I don't owe you any explanation, Uchiha. Where is Chibi-chan anyways, un? Don't tell me you left her with those Konoha ninja."

"She's somewhere safe." Itachi grit out. "Somewhere where fools like you can't hurt her."

Deidara frowned, but quickly regained his smirk. "Well, it doesn't matter. We'll defeat all of you here, and turn the tide of this war in our favor. We won't lose. After all, we're immortal, un."

Mari bristled, gathering chakra into her hands. "Let's see just how immortal you really are, Deidara!" She lunged forward along with Omoi towards Deidara. While Omoi tricked Deidara into thinking he was going to attack him, Mari landed on the head of the clay owl.

Deidara flinched away, thinking Omoi was about to slice him. He didn't have to time to recover from the shock that Omoi changed to a back swing and cut the chakra strings manipulating the two shinobi. He barely managed to avoid Mari's chakra infused fist swinging for his face. "You're not still mad at me, are you, Mari-chan, un?"

"Who wouldn't be?" Mari shouted, managing to land a harsh kick to the side of Deidara's neck. She leapt back just as Ittan brought the ground up. She landed beside Itachi and gave him a grin. "Told you I'd be okay."

Itachi gave Mari a small smile. He looked up as Deidara leapt back onto his clay owl and Sasori righted himself from being yanked out into the open by Kankuro. He noticed the other ninja with them for the first time. "I don't recognize him…"

"Brother…" The ninja muttered, his eyes focused on the shocked Sai. "Run…away…"

Mari looked over at Sai. "You have a brother?" She looked back over at the ninja and gasped. "He's swallowed the detonating clay!"

"Why must you always ruin the fun, Mari-chan, un?" Deidara sighed out.

Sasori used his chakra strings to send the ninja rushing towards the group. Kankuro quickly retaliated, bringing out Sasori's old puppet body to fight the ninja. In the back of his mind, Itachi allowed himself to be relieved that Emiko wasn't here to see this. He didn't know what she would've done.

Deidara smirked and detonated the explosive clay inside the ninja.

"Brother!" Sai shouted, watching helplessly as the ninja began glowing before he was contained by one of Kankuro's puppets.

"That's going too far, even for you, Deidara!" Mari shouted furiously. She would've charged at him again, but Itachi held her back.

"I can't believe you're actually hanging out with Uchiha now, Mari-chan." Deidara sneered. "What happened to the girl that wanted to run away with me? I'm not stupid like these guys. I know just how bloodthirsty you really are, un." He motioned to the ground where Sai's brother was already putting himself back together. "As long as his body is bound to this world, he'll keep coming back and I can use him as a bomb over and over, un."

"Mari, I suggest you allow Sai to handle this." Itachi said, placing a hand on Mari's trembling shoulder. He'd never seen the bright and chipper girl so furious before.

Mari nodded, but remained tense. She watched Sai create two monstrous drawings that flung Sasori and Deidara straight into two of Kankuro's awaiting puppets where they were quickly sealed with Omoi's raiton. "All that's left is Sai-chan's brother…"

"No, that won't be necessary." Sai's brother said softly, staring down at the ground at something Mari couldn't see. He smiled at Sai. "I finally got to see the drawing you wanted to show me, Brother. Your drawing has undone the bindings on my soul…" He slowly cracked and crumbled away until there was nothing left.

Kankuro glared at the puppet that Sasori was trapped in. "To think you would allow yourself to be made into a marionette, Sasori. You were a first rate shinobi puppet master. You would never have allowed yourself to be controlled by others. The puppets you've created, your art, will live on forever as long as there are future generations of puppet masters to inherit the souls within them."

The sound of Sasori chuckling could be heard even from outside the puppet. "So that is the true form of art that I sought. Tell me, Itachi, how is our little light doing?"

"She's hurt." Itachi said after a moment. "She misses you and the others that have perished. She grows stronger every day, though. She's fighting the illness that tries to destroy her, and she's fighting to protect those that she loves. She still has your forehead protector. She takes it with her wherever she goes, as she does with everyone else's. She will grow up into a strong shinobi that we can be proud of."

Sasori smiled sadly, thinking of the seven years he'd gotten to spend with Emiko. He remembered the first time he'd held her. She wouldn't stop crying until Itachi and Kisame finally came back with formula for her. He remembered how soft and fragile she'd felt in his wooden arms. He remembered how she'd always been fascinated by the puppets he created, and how she loved for him to tell her stories with them when she was sick. He remembered that even though he'd only been a puppet, every time Emiko had hugged him, he'd felt just how warm she was and the unconditional love she held for all of the S-ranked criminals. He remembered the pain in her eyes when they'd killed Gaara, and then when he himself had been killed in front of her.

"Itachi, when you see her again…" He couldn't finish his sentence. He could show his weakness in front of Emiko, tell her how much he loved her. He couldn't say it now, though. She wasn't there.

"I will." Itachi said, knowing what it was Sasori wished to say. "She loves you dearly."

Sasori nodded, even though Itachi couldn't see him. "Kankuro, I entrust you with Father and Mother." He said, referring to his parent puppets that he knew Kankuro had. "When you yourself pass, you must entrust them to another so that they may live on forever."

"Of course." Kankuro said with a grin.

Sasori could feel his soul slipping away. _Emiko…I wish I could've seen you in the living plane one more time…_

Kankuro immediately straightened up. "Omoi, Zaji, Sai, head out for immediate ambush!"

"Right!" The three shouted.

"If it's all right with you, there is something I must go and do." Itachi said to Kankuro. He quickly whispered his plan to Kankuro so Mari and the others couldn't hear anything.

Kankuro reluctantly nodded. "Good luck."

"Mari, stay here." Itachi said, already heading off.

Mari huffed and caught up to him so she was running by his side. "No way! I'm your Seeing Eye ninja! What good would I be if I just left you alone?" She grinned when Itachi didn't argue with her. They traveled in silence for a while. "Aren't you going to ask me?"

"What?" Itachi asked, feigning ignorance.

"About what Deidara said; about me being blood thirsty." Mari said, her voice suddenly barely above a whisper.

"Whenever you feel like talking, I'll listen." Itachi said after a moment. "Your past doesn't matter. What matters is who you are now." Itachi barely had time to steel himself as Mari lunged over to him and hugged him.

Mari grinned up at the clearly annoyed Uchiha. "Thanks, Itachi-chan." She kissed his cheek before releasing him. "You keep acting that sweet, I just may fall for you."

Itachi rolled his eyes and continued on. He could feel Mari close at his side. "We need to hurry."

* * *

"What's wrong, Emiko?" Naruto asked, looking over at the suddenly tense little girl.

Emiko couldn't stop the tears that were suddenly rolling down her cheeks. "Danna…I heard Danna's voice…" She held her two trembling hands over her pounding heart. It had been faint, like the soft whisper of the wind. She'd heard each word clearly in her heart. She wished she could go to her bag and pull out Sasori's forehead protector and hold it, but she couldn't right now; not with Killer Bee standing there. She looked up when she felt two warm hands on her tear stained cheeks.

"Are you sure you'll be okay out here by yourself?" Naruto asked softly. "I promise I won't be in there long."

Emiko placed both her hands over Naruto's and nodded. She gave him a small smile. "I'll be okay. Just hurry and master your Biju control."

Naruto kissed Emiko's forehead before straightening up and following Killer Bee into yet another hidden room.

As soon as the two were out of sight, Emiko plopped down onto the floor. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled sadly. "I wish I could've seen you again too, Danna…"


	105. It's Begun

**Sakura02: Hehe…Itachi's a secret softie.  
ArtDisaster: I'm glad you enjoy the story. Sorry you don't like Mari, though. She's here to stay, but I hope you'll continue to read the rest of the story.**

**Thanks: ****TA-twinArmageddons****, ZabuzasGirl, Masked Bard of Chaos, Aniwolfgirl, Guest, Warrior of Sangre, Thunder Krystal, NekoUsagi Luvr, EvilxLittlexNinja, rmc01, Simplicity-Shitsuboku, Bille, Random Fan, ****ImKumikoIOmnomnomOnYourHead****, Kiho-Chyan, Omigesh, SkyePanda98, and Guest for your reviews.**

**Not too thrilled with this chapter. :( Please forgive me if this chapter is not up to par with the others!**

* * *

Emiko hummed softly to herself, playing with her hands while she waited for Naruto and Killer Bee to come back out. She could hear Naruto inside, and knew that he was working hard to master control over his Biju. She stood up and dusted her dress off. There was no reason for her to sit idly by and wait for Naruto and Killer Bee to finish.

She began training, starting off with wind. She thought of everyone in her life. She thought of her Akatsuki family, everyone in Konoha, her mother, and her father. She thought of Sasuke and how much she missed him. She switched over to fire as her thoughts drifted over to Madara and everything he'd taken away from her. She didn't think she'd ever be able to forgive him for the terrible things he'd done. She moved onto water, then earth, and finally wood. She repeated the cycle three or four times. A sense of calm washed over her, and she finally sat back down.

"Mommy…Daddy…I hope you're safe, wherever you are…"

* * *

Kakashi was running as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. His squad had seen a distress flare and were on their way to assist. He glanced over at Haruki who was right beside him, her usual smile gone and replaced by a serious scowl. Despite the glove on Haruki's hand, he could see the bump where her ring was. "You couldn't just stay behind like I wanted you to."

"Nope." Haruki said firmly. "I'm not some helpless little damsel that's going to wait at home. Besides, if Sakura-chan and the other children are fighting in this war, so am I."

Kakashi sighed. "Promise me you'll be careful, though. Emiko needs at least one of her parents to live through this."

"We're both going to live through this." Haruki said, finally looking over at Kakashi with a smile. She held up her hand and took her glove off to reveal her engagement ring. "We have a wedding to plan, after all."

"Kakashi-san, the enemy is just ahead!" One of the shinobi shouted.

Haruki sighed as Kakashi leapt on ahead. She said a silent prayer that they would make it out all right. She landed on the other side of Kakashi, blocking the attack of an enemy ninja from hurting any of their own. She glanced over at the rather fearsome shinobi that Kakashi was holding back. Her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

Zabuza stared blankly at Kakashi. "I never imagined it would be you that I was fighting, Kakashi. You were supposed to finish me off and send me to hell that day on the bridge. When I came to, I was with Haku. So, I knew this was neither heaven nor hell."

"You two know each other?" Haruki managed to grit out, pushing back her opponent and pulling out a kunai.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes. Naruto and the others faced him and Haku in one of their first missions. Leave them to me, Haruki. I'd much rather you stay back."

"Not happening, Kakashi." Haruki responded.

Zabuza raised a curious eyebrow. "A friend of yours, Kakashi?"

"My fiancée." Kakashi answered, his eyes never straying from Zabuza. "We have a daughter. She's with Naruto right now."

"How is the boy doing?" Zabuza asked. "He must be famous after defeating us."

"They named the bridge after him." Kakashi said. "He's a hero in that village. Thanks to the two of you, he learned his shinobi way. He's quite the splendid shinobi now. I'm glad that my daughter has someone like him to look up to, so I must thank you both for that."

* * *

Emiko sneezed a few times in a row. She rubbed her nose and glanced irritably around. Someone was talking about her. She took a deep breath before going back to meditating. It was hard for her to clear her mind when she kept thinking about everyone fighting. She wished she could be with her mother and father. She hated just sitting around. She had been given an important job, though. She had to protect Naruto at all cost.

For a moment, she swore she heard her father and mother's voices, shouting to each other.

* * *

"Kakashi!" Haruki yelped as he suddenly grabbed her around the waist and leapt over and away from their enemies. She glared at him and straightened up as soon as her feet touched solid ground. "I could've done that myself." She glanced warily over at the backs of their enemies. Something had changed about their auras. They were darker, more sinister. "Kakashi…"

"Everyone, don't let your guards down!" Kakashi ordered, already crouched down and ready to attack.

Haku glanced over his shoulder at them. "Kakashi-san, you must stop us again. My dream was to die as Zabuza-sama's tool. The fact that Zabuza-sama is here, under the control of this jutsu, means that I failed him. Now, not only can I not protect him, I can't even do his bidding."

"You did protect him." Kakashi said quietly. "Zabuza died of a different cause. He never thought of you as just a tool for his destructive whims. Naruto carved up the depths of Zabuza's heart…Haruki now is not the time to get emotional."

Haruki bit her lip and nodded. "What Madara and Kabuto have done is unforgivable."

"Kakashi, don't hold back. Remember, I'm already dead, and I died a human." Zabuza said before his aura completely changed.

"Here they come!" Kakashi shouted. "Assemble battle groups with sensory type shinobi at the center! Everyone else cover the 12, 9, 6, and 3 o'clock positions! Zabuza can pinpoint a target on sound alone!"

Haruki squinted against the thick fog that Zabuza had created. "Visibility is near zero." She stood in the center of Sakura, Gai, Lee, and Kakashi. The only weak point of this formation was the center, and she'd be damned if she let Zabuza or any of the other enemy shinobi exploit it.

The sounds of shinobi screaming reached their ears. "It's begun…" Kakashi murmured.

"Kakashi, I'm going on ahead." Haruki said. "Be careful!" She rushed forward and managed to stop Haku from killing a few shell shocked shinobi. She glanced over at the shocked group and then down at the dead bodies. "Comrades die on the battlefield. You cannot lose your focus, or you will cause more deaths and they will have died in vain." She looked back over at where she'd left Kakashi when she heard a loud rumbling sound. She gasped when she saw a new group of shinobi standing a few feet away from Kakashi, Zabuza standing in front of all of them. "Those are past members of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist…"

* * *

Emiko could sense the war going on. She could feel the chakras flare up and the chakras that disappeared altogether. There were so many chakras that she was unable to pinpoint who was who. "Please…please…please…" Emiko clasped her hands in front of her, praying as hard as she possibly could. "Please protect everyone…please let everyone come home safe and alive…"


	106. Seven Swordsmen

**Sakura02: I'm pretty sure I had nightmares from that imagery…  
Phoenix: It's more just because of her deep connection to everyone, and the fact that she is more hyper aware. Kind of like how Naruto was able to sense everything that was happening when he attempted to leave the island.  
Rayane Uzumaki: Mari and Itachi's relationship will continue to grow for the rest of the fic :). I'm not sure exactly who, if anyone Emiko will ultimately end up with. There will be an epilogue with Emiko as a young adult once this story is over :).  
Blue-RoseMary: Wow, I'm so glad you've been enjoying this story for so long! I hope you'll continue to enjoy it to the very end!  
kateandthehat: I've never thought of making this into an original novel. I do have a novel in the works though that I hope to get published soon.  
BlackRosario: Thank you so much! I hope your friends will enjoy this story just as much as you have!**

**Thanks: ZabuzasGirl, Simplicity-Shitsuboku, Kiho-Chyan, katsekala, Aniwolfgirl, EvilxLittlexNinja, Jeany Foster, imperial queen, ****ImKumikoIOmnomnomOnYourHead****, Yuki3chan, Kamma, Guest, Glitch, Guest, Gaara Sempai, and rmc01 for reviewing!**

* * *

Emiko tapped her foot irritably and impatiently. Naruto and Killer Bee had been in the training room for quite a while now. She couldn't stand just waiting idly by while everyone else was risking their lives. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to keep out of the war. She couldn't just leave Naruto, though. She'd been given the mission to protect him, and even though she knew they'd simply given her the mission to keep her out of the war, she wouldn't abandon her mission. "Mommy…Daddy…'Tachi…please be okay."

xXx

Haruki eyed the seven enemies before them warily. She'd only ever heard of the Seven Swordsman and seen their pictures in wanted posters. They were much more intimidating than their pictures could ever make them appear to be. "What's the plan, Kakashi?"

"I need everyone to buy me some time." Kakashi told what was left of their group. "Attack together!"

Haruki rushed forward along with everyone else. She hurled kunai after kunai at the Seven Swordsmen, as did everyone else. She leapt back to Kakashi's side, crouched down and ready to attack at a moment's notice. "Nothing we're throwing at them seems to be working."

"We can't lose hope!" One of the shinobi shouted. "We just have to seal away the soul or immobilize the host body. Besides, Zabuza is the only one of the swordsmen who has his sword. They're all at half their strength."

Kakashi warily watched one of the swordsmen pull out a scroll. "No…they've got their swords with them." He moved in front of Haruki as each swordsmen retrieved their sword from the scroll. "They're still not a full power, though."

Haruki frowned as the fog around them began to thicken. "Visibility is completely gone now."

"They're planning to do a silent kill." Gai muttered. "We won't be able to trust our ears."

Kakashi reached out and brushed his hand against Haruki's wrist, reassuring himself that she was still beside him. "We can't fight in this mist. We'll only wind up killing each other."

"Kakashi-taicho, I'm ready to launch Shadow Possession and Shadow Paralysis!" Ensui, a member of the Nara clan shouted.

"Good." Kakashi said. "Ensui, start by following my moves with a loose Shadow Possession jutsu. Yamanaka Santa, use mind transfer jutsu to trade places with me." Kakashi quickly explained his plan to have Santa get his body close enough to Zabuza, where Kakashi would then step on Zabuza's shadow so that Zabuza would be unable to move. Maki of Sunagakure was instructed to wait until then to attack. "Everyone ready?"

"Don't you dare die, Kakashi." Haruki whispered, brushing her fingers against his. "Everyone, protect Kakashi at all cost!" She rushed forward with everyone else as they all shouted in agreement. Haruki rushed forward, helping the other shinobi draw Zabuza's attention away from Kakashi. She ducked and dodged to avoid the swinging blade. She briefly took her eyes off of Zabuza to check on Kakashi.

Haruki barely managed to get out of the way to avoid a fatal wound from Zabuza's blade. She skidded back a few feet, clutching tightly at her wounded side. She could feel the blood rushing out from between her fingers. She continued moving around, keeping Zabuza's attention on her and away from Kakashi. She did her best to keep Zabuza in a relatively small area so that Kakashi wouldn't have to go much further.

Kakashi, now back in his own body, nearly blew his cover when he saw Zabuza's sword cut Haruki from her right waist all the way up to her left shoulder. He was relieved to see Gai catch Haruki as she fell and get her out of harm's way. _Hang on, Haruki. _He reached out with his hand, ready to attack Zabuza.

Haku stepped in front of Kakashi, protecting Zabuza's back. He didn't even flinch when Kakashi's arm went straight through his chest. Zabuza whipped around and swung his sword through Haku to get to Kakashi.

"K-Kakashi…" Haruki coughed out, blood dribbling down her chin.

"Haruki, you need to stay down." Gai gently pushed Haruki back down to the ground. "You're hurt. Look, Kakashi is doing okay. He's not down yet."

Haruki watched Kakashi gently place Haku on the ground. She watched him disarm Zabuza and slam his hand through Zabuza's chest with chidori. She managed to crack a small smile when Zabuza was sealed away, causing the mist to disappear. The rest of the swordsmen were dealt with easily enough, and before long, Kakashi was at Haruki's side.

"And here I was worried about you." Haruki grinned up at Kakashi.

Kakashi rested a hand gently on Haruki's cheek and kissed her forehead. "You just stay down and rest. You're lucky that wound was so shallow."

Haruki nodded slowly. "Kakashi, let's not tell Emiko about this, okay?"

"Why?" Kakashi teased. "You don't want our daughter knowing that both of her parents do fairly stupid things?"

"I'm so glad you can admit that you do stupid things." Haruki retorted.

Sai cleared his throat. "What's our next move?"

Kakashi straightened up. "Right then…"

xXx

"Itachi-chan, where are we going?" Mari asked, barely managing to keep up with the Uchiha.

Itachi glanced over his shoulder at Mari. He stopped to allow her to catch up with him. He scanned the trees around him, searching for something. "Mari, you really should go back to the others. This is going to be too dangerous for you."

Mari put her hands on her hips. "I'm not going anywhere. Now, you better stop being all super mysterious Mr. Uchiha and tell me what's going on." She perked up when she saw a rather thin looking man with red hair step through the trees. "Is that…?"

Itachi nodded. "Mari, stay here until I've spoken with him."

Mari stood obediently where Itachi had left her. She watched him talking to the red haired man and sighed. Maybe it would've been better if she'd just stayed behind like Itachi had told her to. "At least this will be interesting."


	107. Entering the War

**Sakura02: Lol, she's just happy that Itachi doesn't snarl at her as much as he used to!  
Phoenix: You'll just have to keep reading to see how it all works out ;)  
EvilxLittlexNinja: They aren't an official couple yet…but who knows what'll happen as the story goes on.  
Junsei-Ichi: Thank you so much for bringing that to my attention. The situation was dealt with, though she definitely made it difficult considering she blocked me! Again, thank you so much for letting me know.  
MiniMahem: Sorry, I'll update as often as I can, but my school and original writing comes before this. **

**Thanks: ZabuzasGirl, Guest, ****ImKumikoIOmnomnomOnYourHead****, Simplicity-Shitsuboku, IgnitingFireworks, Warrior of Sangre, Kiho-Chyan, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, XxanimeaddictxX, Rmc01, AllSaidAndDone, and Authoresses of the Red Rose for reviewing!**

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"Emiko…Emiko wake up!" Naruto roughly shook the sleeping girl's shoulders. Emiko had barely opened her eyes up when Naruto pulled her to her feet and began leading her quickly away.

Emiko rubbed sleepily at her eyes, stumbling over a few loose rocks in the way. "Where are we going, Naru-chan? Aren't you supposed to be training?"

"Didn't you sense the Kyubi's chakra earlier?" Naruto asked, looking around for the quickest way out. "Something weird is going on, Emiko."

Emiko bit her lip, debating on whether or not to just confess everything to Naruto. She hated keeping this big of a secret from him. She had indeed sensed the Kyubi chakra earlier. She'd initially thought that it had been Naruto training, but had quickly realized it must have been someone in the war with Kyubi's chakra. She had no idea how anyone else would be able to have the chakra, but it didn't seem that important of a question right now. "Naru-chan…"

Naruto was brought up short by a group of ninja standing in the doorway. He glared suspiciously at them all. "What's Shino's dad doing here?" He muttered under his breath.

Shino's father stared Naruto and Emiko down. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but you cannot pass this point. Emiko, you were supposed to keep an eye on him. You both must cooperate and return to your assigned space."

"What's he talking about, Emiko?" Naruto asked, briefly glancing down at the guilty looking little girl. "Emiko?"

"We'll talk inside." Shino's father assured.

"Tell me out here!" Naruto shouted, getting more and more agitated with each passing moment.

"Let me talk to him." Iruka stepped forward, smiling at the shocked look on Naruto's face. "Naruto, you have another very important mission to accomplish on this island. We're your backup."

Naruto looked down at Emiko, and immediately knew he was being lied to. "Why can I go outside?"

"There's a new dangerous species out there." Iruka lied. "We have to identify it."

"Does it have something to do with Kyubi's chakra?" Naruto asked.

Iruka was clearing growing more and more nervous. "It does appear the new creature possesses the Kyubi's chakra. If you go outside it may react to it."

Emiko hopped from one foot to another as Naruto began to grow more agitated. She looked up when she felt Naruto squeeze her hand. His eyes had changed. Her father had told her that this was known as Sennin Mode. Her and Naruto briefly made eye contact, and Emiko immediately knew what to do. The two ran forward, ducking and dodging the incoming ninja. The entire group stumbled through the waterfall and out into the open air.

Naruto's forward momentum was stopped by two things. One being that he and Emiko had both been caught in a Nara clan members shadow possession. The other was something that made Naruto's blood run cold. He could sense so many different chakras. "Wha…What's going on? Emiko?"

"It's Madara's War." Emiko said softly.

"That's enough, Emiko!" Shino's father shouted furiously. He was brought up short by Iruka.

"It's okay." Iruka said. "He needs to know the truth. Madara is trying to extract the Biju from you and Killer Bee. This war is going on to protect you, Naruto. If he gets a hold of you, everything is over. Now, let's go back inside."

Naruto was silent for a moment. "Emiko, are Kakashi-sensei and Haruki-sensei fighting too?"

"…yes." Emiko answered, trying to keep her voice calm. She was so worried about her parents, about Itachi, and about all the others.

"I can stop this." Naruto declared, taking Emiko's hand back in his. "I will face eternal hatred. I will face the pain that does not heal. That is my role."

Iruka was growing more and more frustrated. "This is not about you, Naruto! The Kyubi is inside of you!"

Naruto snarled. "You were the first person to ever acknowledge me, Iruka-sensei! Why are you worried about Kyubi now? Why don't you trust me?"

"Enough!" Iruka shouted. "Do you know what you are to me? You are one of my most important students, and…you're as close to me as a little brother. Our enemy is seeking you out to kill you. How can I just stand by and let that happen? Why should you continue to carry the burdens of everyone else?"

"I'm strong!" Naruto protested. "I'm not just a little kid anymore. You're the one that gave my my headband!"

Emiko watched warily as Iruka stepped forward with Naruto's headband. Everything happened so fast in the next few moments. Iruka attempted to trap Naruto in a barrier, but Naruto escaped with his headband. It almost looked as though Naruto were on fire as he fled. Emiko quickly followed after him, just barely managing to keep up. She could hear the other ninja shouting angrily behind her. "Naru-chan, wait for me!"

Naruto glared over his shoulder, clearly upset. "Why didn't you tell me, Emiko?"

"It was my mission!" Emiko said. "Mommy and Daddy didn't want me going to war, but they knew I wouldn't just sit at home. I was supposed to protect you, and I couldn't even do that! Mommy and Daddy are fighting, and I couldn't even protect you!"

Naruto slowed down so Emiko could catch up to him. He put his headband back on. He blinked when he realized that there was a note wedged into it. He read the note quietly to himself. He ate the paper before looking over at Emiko. "Sorry, Emiko. I didn't mean to snap at you. You don't have to come with me."

"I'm going." Emiko said, determination in her eyes. "My mission is to protect you, and I'm going to do that. Besides, I was getting bored sitting on that island all day. I want to kick Madara's ass."

Naruto grinned at the little girl. "That sounds like a good plan to me." Naruto was brought up short by a large energy blast exploding just in front of him and Emiko.

"Bee-san!" Emiko exclaimed when she saw Killer Bee in his Jinchuriki form catching up to them.

"That up ahead is the shield!" Killer Bee proclaimed. "Together, we'll bust through that field!"

"Emiko, you stay between me and Octopops." Naruto ordered.

Emiko nodded. She kept herself evenly spaced between Naruto and Killer Bee. She let out a whoop of joy when the three of them managed to break through the barrier. She landed on solid ground, only briefly surprised that they were no longer on the water.

Naruto grinned at Emiko. "You ready to fight?" He held his fist out to the little girl. Killer Bee put his fist against Naruto's as well.

Emiko grinned, bumping her fist against both Naruto's and Killer Bee's. "Hell yeah. Let's go show Madara just who he's messing with."


	108. The Night Before

**Sakura02: You know Emiko has a long list of people's asses she needs to kick. Tobi is at the top!  
Authoresses of the Red Rose: Yes, Emiko will be learning all the Biju's names  
IgnitingFireworks: Are you referring to the manga or this story?  
Aniwolfgirl: Yes, but depending on what happens, I sometimes like to veer off and do my own thing.  
phoenixyfriend: Emiko is not aware of where Hidan is buried, hence why she hasn't gone to him. Thank you for the huge compliment!**

**Thanks: katsekala, ZabuzasGirl, EvilxLittlexNinja, xXanimeaddictxX, ****ImKumikoIOmnomnomOnYourHead****, monkey8312000, xXMiyakoXSasukeXx, Kiho-Chyan, katandthehat, Guest, Rmc01, Guest, Phoenix, CrystalCay, God Boy's Girl, Nilsey, Konahas Diamond of Doom, SkyePanda98, MidoriXitachi, RandomReader, ****HiNaTa-A.k.A-SkYlA-A.k.A-JaDe****, and DarkReign45 for reviewing!**

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"Naru-chan, maybe you should conserve your power." Emiko said when Naruto went back to using the Kyubi Chakra mode. She was tired. They had been rushing nonstop towards the fighting. Emiko didn't complain, though. The sooner she could see her mom, dad, Itachi, and all the others, the sooner she'd feel better.

Naruto stubbornly shook his head. "We don't have any time to waste!" He sped up his pace, leaving Killer Bee and Emiko behind.

Killer Bee frowned and quickly caught up to Naruto. "Hey, let's take rest. The kid is tired, and not at her best."

Naruto looked behind him and immediately stopped. He could see just how exhausted Emiko was, and he immediately felt guilty. As soon as she caught up, he deactivated Kyubi's chakra. "Sorry, Emiko. You should've said something."

Emiko shook her head. Killer Bee couldn't help noticing that even though Emiko and Naruto weren't related, they looked almost identical when they were both being stubborn. "I'm fine, really. I want to see Mommy and Daddy again. I'm worried 'Tachi might have killed Mari too."

"Mari? You mean that ninja we met when we were looking for the scrolls?" Naruto asked curiously. He sat down on a branch and pulled Emiko down to sit next to him.

"Yup." Emiko answered, swinging her legs back and forth. They were extremely high up, but Emiko wasn't scared. She'd been up even higher when Deidara would take her flying on one of his creations. "She's helping 'Tachi because he can't see really well." She looked up when she felt Naruto petting her hair.

Naruto grinned down at her. "Don't worry. I bet Kakashi-sensei and the others are fine."

Killer Bee clapped his hands together. "The moon is rising in the sky. If we want to help, we better fly."

Emiko groaned in annoyance and stood up. "Seriously? Why do you have to rhyme all the time."

Naruto laughed. He went back into Kyubi Chakra Mode. As the night wore on, Naruto's chakra lit their way. Emiko ran beside him, staying silent. At one point, she looked up and noticed that Naruto had a very intense look on his face. "Naru-chan?" She reached out and touched his sleeve.

Emiko was rather shocked to find herself in an eerie looking dungeon. She gasped when she looked up and saw a giant cage which Naruto was standing outside of. "Naru-chan? Kyubi?"

Naruto looked up at Emiko, surprise clear on his face. "Emiko, what are you doing here? How'd you even get in here?"

Kyubi snorted, glaring at Naruto. "Great. One brat wasn't enough…"

Emiko huffed and stormed over. She rested her hands on Kyubi's giant nose. "You were being mean to Naru-chan again, weren't you! I told you to stop being so mean."

Kyubi glowered at the small child, ignoring Naruto's surprised face. He lifted his face up slightly so Emiko's feet dangled off the ground. "I could eat you in one gulp, Brat."

"You won't." Emiko protested, only slightly worried about the razor sharp teeth so close to her. "Shadow Man said you'd help me, so you won't eat me. Eating me wouldn't really help."

"How is she able to get in here?" Naruto finally shouted.

Emiko ran over to Naruto once Kyubi lowered his head and allowed her feet to touch the ground. "I don't know. I touched your arm, and I was just in here…"

"Would you two just get out of here?" Kyubi snapped, curling up and growling at the two.

"Have a good talk with Kyubi?" Killer Bee asked once Emiko and Naruto's focus returned to the real world.

"I think Kyubi just needs a hug." Emiko stated. "Naru-chan, you should give Kyubi a hug."

"Yeah…that's not going to happen." Naruto said. "We need to hurry. The sooner we can get there, the better."

xXx

"There's no need for you to be so frightened, girl." Nagato said.

Mari jumped. She peeked around Itachi at the frail looking man. She gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I'm not really frightened or anything. This is all just really…weird. So, you're dead, but someone brought you back to life?"

Nagato nodded. "Correct. Itachi-san would be sharing the same fate as me if he had died."

"So, he can track your movements and stuff, right?" Mari asked. When Nagato nodded, she chewed worriedly on her lip. "Whoever it is probably knows Itachi and I are with you then. Why aren't they making you attack us?"

Nagato raised an eyebrow. "I'm not able to do much of anything in my state. Whoever brought me back, did so solely for my eye techniques."

"Mari, you should go back." Itachi said, adjusting Nagato's arm around his shoulder. He snarled when Mari poked him in the cheek.

"I'm not leaving you, Itachi." Mari protested. "I'm your Seeing Eye Ninja. Besides, you'd probably get lonely without me around."

Nagato cracked a small smile which neither Itachi nor Mari saw. "Mari-san, why don't you scout on ahead. Let us know if you see anything unusual."

Mari looked suspiciously between the two men. "I'll be right back." She quickly leapt on ahead.

Once she was out of sight, Nagato let out a weak chuckle. "That's quite a woman you have there, Itachi-san."

"She's not my woman." Itachi muttered irritably. "She's all right."

Nagato nodded, knowing Itachi wasn't talking about Mari. "You're certain she's where Madara cannot reach her? If he gets his hands on her…"

"She's with Naruto." Itachi answered. "If she's with him, he'll keep her safe, and she'll protect him. I'm more worried about who it is resurrecting people. He'll have to be dealt with if there's any hope of winning this war."

Mari came back. She grinned at the two men and saluted them. "Everything is quiet. I don't think there are any enemies in this area, or anyone for that matter."

Nagato nodded. "Good. Let's rest for the time being. It seems whoever brought me back has nothing for me to do right now."

Itachi helped Nagato to sit down against a large boulder. Itachi sat a few feet from him while Mari started a small fire. Itachi watched Mari for a moment, idly noting how her nose crinkled when she concentrated on something. He blinked when a small ration of jerky was shoved in his face. He looked up at Mari's grinning face.

"If I had known we were going to be gone for so long, I would've gotten more rations." Mari said, plopping down between Nagato and Itachi. She held out a piece of jerky to Nagato. "Are you hungry, Nagato-san?"

"I require no sustenance." Nagato politely declined.

Itachi frowned. He stood up and dusted his cloak off. "You need to get some sleep. I'll take first watch."

Mari pouted as Itachi walked away. She sighed and rested against the boulder. "I don't think Itachi likes me very much. He's always so serious. Sometimes I think we're making progress and he starts opening up to me, then he just stops talking to me." She laughed nervously when she realized who it was she had been talking to. "Sorry, Nagato-san."

Nagato shook his head. "I think the reason Itachi-san seems to close up to you, is that he doesn't open up to anyone. The only other person I've ever seen him show any genuine emotion with is Emiko. He loves that little girl more than any of us ever did. We all loved her dearly, but she and Itachi had a special bond. I don't know much about his past, and it's not my place to tell you what I do know. I do believe he may consider you special, which is probably unsettling for him."

Mari blinked. A wide grin split across her face. "Thank you, Nagato-san. I didn't think you could talk so much."

Nagato let out a weak chuckle. "Get some rest, Mari-san."

"You won't let Itachi run off without me, will you?" Mari asked worriedly.

"Of course not." Nagato reassured.

xXx

"Kakashi, I'm fine. Put my shirt down right now." Haruki slapped Kakashi's hand away, and pulled her shirt down to hide her new scar. She curled up against him and sighed. "Why is it so quiet right now?"

Kakashi wrapped an arm around Haruki. "Who knows. We'll all be taking shifts to keep an eye out for the enemy. You need to rest, though. I wish you'd gone to the healers."

Haruki looked up at Kakashi and frowned. "No way. If I leave you alone, who knows what stupid thing you'll do. I promised Emiko I'd make sure you got home."

"And I promised to make sure you got home." Kakashi countered. He settled back against the tree behind him and played with Haruki's hair. "So…I was thinking…once this war is over, we should expand our family."

Haruki looked up at Kakashi, surprise written on her face. "I hope you mean after we get married. Besides, I'm not sure if I want another child. Emiko's so well behaved, considering her circumstances. What if the next one is a demon spawn like you…"

"You mean awesome like me." Kakashi said.

Haruki scoffed. She yawned and closed her eyes. "Wake me up when it's my turn for watch."

"Of course." Kakashi answered.


	109. The Dawn

**DarcySailorScoutOfDarknessLo ve: Yes, I will be including all the stuff with Rin in the story. Wow, thank you for that huge compliment! :)  
MidoriXitachi: I'm following the Naruto manga storyline, but there will be some points that veer off from what Kishimoto wrote. I don't think I'll be adding any more OC's into this story.  
Sakura02: Lol, it's 'cause he missed his woman all those years!  
Phoenix: More of Mari's past will be revealed soon.  
RandomReader: You'll just have to keep reading to find out :)  
katandthehat: I'm not sure what you mean by that? The Shadow Man's identity will be revealed soon. I'm going to continue on with what I'd originally planned, since I've assumed since the beginning that Tobi was Obito.  
c: Thank you for letting me know. The person has taken the story down.**

**Thanks: XxanimeaddictxX, ZabuzasGirl, IgnitingFireworks, Warrior of Sangre, EvilxLittlexNinja, Coyote-Starrk-LG, katsekala, Authoresses of the Red Rose, ImKumikoIOmnomnomOnYourHead, Guest, chisaki-chibi-chan101, Aniwolfgirl, Nilsey, Guest, hiraikoneko, and Pailrose for your reviews!**

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"So, how much trouble do you think we're going to be in?" Emiko asked. They'd been running for a few hours, and Emiko was surprised that the sun had yet to rise. She had nearly fallen asleep running a couple hours ago, but then she'd gotten her second wind.

Naruto grinned and shrugged at her. "It'll be fine."

Emiko sighed and looked up at the night sky. The stars were still twinkling brightly. She squinted when it looked like something was falling from the sky. "Um, Naru-chan…"

Tsunade and the Raikage landed a few yards away from the trio. Both had deep scowls on their faces. "We're here to stop you!" The Raikage declared. He glanced over to Tsunade for support, but all he saw was the awe on her face at the fact that Naruto had learned to control Kyubi's chakra. "You will not pass!"

"Naru-chan has to go help everyone!" Emiko protested. She stomped her foot on the ground and glared at the Raikage. "Move out of the way!"

"You need to learn some manners!" Raikage roared, the memory of Emiko at the Kage meeting still clear in his mind. "Didn't anyone teach you to respect your elders?"

Emiko thought for a moment. "Uh…no…"

"Bro," Bee stepped forward to try and placate the Raikage. "Naruto's gotta get through. I'll make sure he do what he gotta do."

"You dare oppose me?" Raikage growled at Bee. "This whole war is to keep the two of you safe! If the enemy were to get ahold of you…"

"Then they will complete their jutsu and the world will end!" Naruto interrupted. He was growing more and more irritated by the minute. He wanted to get to the war as quickly as possible. "We already know all that!"

"Then what are you doing here?" Raikage shouted. "Are you morons?"

"Yeah, they kind of are." Emiko said, earning her a whap on the head from Naruto. She rubbed her head and pouted. "That was mean, Naru-chan!" She looked up at Naruto, only to see that he was really upset. "Naru-chan…"

"I hate it that people are dying for me!" Naruto finally shouted out, thinking of all of his friends and teachers fighting to protect him. "Even if we win this war, what if I'm the only one standing at the end? It's not worth it and I don't want it!"

Emiko instinctively shrunk back a bit as the Raikage and Naruto began loudly arguing. She blinked when she felt a warm hand on the top of her head. She looked up at Bee's grinning face.

"Don't be scared, little one. This battle will definitely be won." Bee grinned at the annoyed look Emiko gave him. The two stood back and watched as Naruto tried to go around the Raikage, but was thwarted each time.

"They're both really fast." Emiko muttered. "Naru-chan is really amazing…" She looked over at where Tsunade was. The Hokage had not moved from her spot. "Hey, Tsunade-neechan, make the Raikage let Naru-chan through! You know Naru-chan is strong enough to beat up Madara!"

Tsunade hesitated, which didn't go unnoticed by Naruto. "I'm part of the Allied Shinobi Forces right now. I have been given orders to stop you. I cannot act independently right now."

"What?" Emiko shouted. "That's so dumb! You're the Hokage! You can do…"

Naruto held his hand up, effectively silencing Emiko. "It's okay, Emiko. It's politics. It's not her fault. I'm just going to have to force my way past you!" He rushed forward again, trying to bypass the Raikage.

"You won't get passed me." The Raikage said firmly. There was no bragging or haughtiness in his voice. "Ever since the Yondaime died, there has been no one faster than me."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "You knew my dad?"

"We exchanged blows a few times." The Raikage explained. "A finer shinobi has never lived since him. At one time, he was even called the Child of Prophecy. Yet, he underestimated the powers of the Biju, and now he is not here to help us stop this crisis. You are his child, yet you have learned nothing from his mistakes and sacrifices."

"Don't you talk about Dad like that!" Naruto snapped.

Emiko hadn't ever seen Naruto so angry before. "Hey, Bee-chan, what happened while you guys were training?"

Killer Bee grinned. "Naruto met his ma and pa."

"Dad…Yondaime didn't make any mistakes!" Naruto declared.

Raikage snarled, and charged up his chakra. "Stand down, now! I will kill you! That will at least buy us some time for the Kyubi to be reborn, and the enemy will have to delay their plans!"

Emiko rushed forward and placed herself between the Raikage and Naruto. She glared up at the giant man, trying not to be too intimidated by the giant man. She began forming hand seals. "Don't you dare touch Naru-chan!"

"Emiko!" Naruto protested.

Killer Bee stepped between the Raikage and Emiko and Naruto. Using the Hachibi, he was able to hold back the Raikage's powerful punch. He smiled at Raikage. "You kill the girl and him, you kill me and Hachibi too. You're just standing here, yelling and acting like a fool. It's time for Naruto to make some new rules."

Emiko breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against Naruto. "I thought I was gonna die…"

Naruto grinned and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. "Don't do stupid stuff like that! Kakashi-sensei and Haruki-sensei would kill me if anything happened to you."

Tsunade stormed over, her face drawn back in a furious scowl. "Raikage, you may not make arbitrary decisions without consulting the other leaders first! I will not allow this!"

"I will do whatever it takes to achieve victory!" Raikage yelled.

Emiko glared up at him. "Then, why aren't you threatening to kill Bee-chan too? You're playing favorites!"

"If I have to, I'm prepared to kill Bee." The Raikage said, trying to regain his composure. He struggled to pull his fist from Bee's grasp, but couldn't. "Let me go, Bee! You Jinchuriki are not free! You belong to your nation and your village! You keep the balance of power for your people! Do you think you can do whatever you want? Do you understand nothing of your positions?"

"Don't talk about Bee-chan and Naru-chan like that!" Emiko snapped angrily.

Bee waved his free hand dismissively. "Don't fret, little lady. He won't do anything shady." He turned back to the Raikage. "I'm still a man, and I'll do what I can."

The Raikage was taken aback. He looked between Bee and Naruto. "Why defend this boy?"

The Hachibi's hand disappeared, and was replaced with Bee's fist. Bee grinned. "Fist bump, Bro. Read my soul."

Emiko looked curiously between the two silent men. "What are they doing, Naru-chan?"

"Don't worry about it." Naruto grabbed Emiko's hand, and began running. "This is our chance." He hadn't even gotten passed Raikage when the man's fist shot out and sent Naruto flying along with Emiko. Naruto held Emiko close to him and landed a few yards away. "He's fast! Wait here, Emiko. Bee and I will deal with him!"

"Tsunade-neechan, do something!" Emiko shouted to the shell shocked Hokage. Emiko looked worriedly at where the Raikage was easily dealing with both Naruto and Killer Bee.

"Help me, Hokage!" Raikage shouted. He threw Naruto and Killer Bee over towards where Emiko was.

Emiko knelt down beside Naruto and glared at the Raikage. She held her hands up, ready to form hand signs. She stopped when Tsunade stepped protectively between them and the Raikage. "Tsunade-neechan…"

"Even if killing Naruto buys us some time, I don't think the next Jinchuriki would be able to control the Kyubi to this degree. Since we have no idea which way this war will go, I say we use all the weapons we have at our disposal. I will let them pass!"

"All right, Tsunade-neechan!" Emiko cheered.

"You're all fools." Raikage snarled. He stared Killer Bee down as the shinobi charged at him. "Your attacks won't work on me." He tossed Killer Bee a few feet away. "I won't let any of you pass."

"Naruto and I won't be defeated." Killer Bee said confidently, charging once again at the Raikage.

"Then let us see which of us is stronger!" Raikage charged towards Killer Bee.

Emiko sighed. "Why do guys always have to fight over who is stronger?"

Tsunade couldn't help the small chuckle. "That's just the way they are." She smirked in satisfaction when Killer Bee sent Raikage flying.

"The Biju aren't are only source of power." Killer Bee said to the fallen Raikage. "Our own selves, what we were before helps us in our darkest hour. Our true selves shine like the sun. Our true strength means we will never have to run. Only I could control Hachibi. Only I could win that fight. Naruto's got the same bright light inside of him, right? But, he's rocking two suns light!"

Naruto grinned and nodded. "Yup, I'm rocking two suns."

Emiko blinked curiously and fell back against Naruto. She looked up at him and held onto his arms. "What are your two suns, Naru-chan?"

"Mom and Dad!" Naruto exclaimed proudly. "When I was trying to control Kyubi, Dad made sure that I got to meet Mom. Dad said he'd woven Mom's chakra into the seal. She was able to hang out with my while I undid the Kyubi's seal. They did that all for me!" Naruto couldn't help the silly grin on his face as he thought about his parents. "Mom helped me get this power, and she told me everything. One time, Dad fought this guy in a mask, and he learned two things. First, this masked guy was gonna try and destroy the future, and second, I was the only one who could stop him."

"So, Minato knew he wasn't the savior?" Raikage asked dubiously.

"I really don't know if Dad was the savior or not. My teacher called Dad a Child of Prophecy." Naruto answered. "My father died. He and my mother died protecting me and Konoha. It only took a second, but they left me so much. What they gave me, will make me win. I'll be the savior!"

Tsunade stepped forward. "Raikage, if you kill Naruto today, Madara will definitely get the Kyubi next time. The world will come to an end! We need to let Naruto go! He can protect the shinobi! I'll bet on Naruto! What about you?"

"I'm gonna bet on Naru-chan too!" Emiko declared, grinning up at Naruto.

"Only way to go, Bro. All bets on Naruto." Killer Bee said. He held his hand out to help Raikage up.

Raikage shoved Killer Bee away and began powering up. He began charging at Naruto.

"Emiko, wait here." Naruto ran forward to meet the Raikage.

"I can't watch." Emiko covered her eyes, waiting to hear Naruto screaming in pain. When she didn't hear anything, she lowered her hands. She looked at where the Raikage was standing, and then over at Naruto, who had managed to get passed the Raikage.

"My attack was simply a test." Raikage declared. "You are the second to have ever outrun my fastest punch. We have ourselves a savior. Go forth."

Naruto grinned. "Yes sir! Emiko, Octopops, let's go!"

"See you later, Tsunade-neechan!" Emiko waved. She stuck her tongue out at the Raikage as she passed him. The trio ran along for a while in silence. Emiko couldn't help thinking of her own mother and father. She hoped they and everyone else were doing okay. She glanced over her shoulder. "The sun's coming up."

"Yeah." Naruto said. "We better hurry."

xXx

"You didn't wake me up." Haruki grouched out, tugging on Kakashi's cheek irritably. She stood up and stretched, trying to hide her slight wince. Her wound was only slightly sore now. "If you tell me to leave one more time, I will slap you."

Kakashi sighed and stood up. "Just be careful." He looked Haruki up and down for a moment. "Hey, Haruki, have you gained some weight?"

Haruki bristled and punched Kakashi in the face. "I have not!" She placed her hands self-consciously over her stomach. "You're such an ass, Kakashi."

Kakashi rubbed his face and chuckled. "Sorry. Please don't be mad at me."

"Just go tell the others what to do." Haruki grouched out, refusing to meet Kakashi's eye. She blushed when he kissed her forehead before walking away. Once he was out of her sight, Haruki lifted her shirt slightly up and looked at her stomach. It was definitely protruding a bit. She groaned irritably and gently poked her stomach. "Stupid ramen…"

xXx

Itachi stared blankly up at the lightening sky. He really wanted to get up and go scout the area, but he couldn't move. He glanced irritably down at Mari. The girl was snuggled right up to him and her head was resting on his shoulder. He poked her in the forehead. "Hey…Mari…"

"Let her sleep, Itachi." Nagato said softly. "I'll go scout ahead." He left before Itachi could protest.

Itachi sighed in annoyance. He looked back down at Mari. Her face was blurred to him, but he could still see how her nose was wrinkled ever so slightly. He stopped himself short of thinking of Mari and the word 'cute' in the same sentence.

Mari snuggled closer to Itachi and wrapped her arms around him. "Dei-senpai…"

"I'm not Deidara, Moron." Itachi pulled on Mari's cheeks and smirked in satisfaction when she yelped.

Mari sat up and batted Itachi's hand away. She pouted at him as he sat up as well. "That was mean, Itachi."

"No. Mean is calling another guy's name when you're using me as a pillow." Itachi quipped.

Mari blinked in confusion. A wicked grin suddenly came to her face. "I'm sorry, Itachi. I'll call your name any time you want. You just have to ask."

Itachi stood up and whapped Mari on the back of the head. "Idiot. Come on. We need to catch up with Nagato."

Mari stood up and rushed after Itachi. "I was just kidding!" She caught up to the clearly irritated Uchiha. "I'm really sorry, Itachi! Please forgive my indiscretion."

"What were you and Deidara?" Itachi asked, trying to mask the curiosity in his voice.

Mari opened and closed her mouth a few times. She stopped walking after a moment. She looked off to the side when Itachi stopped and turned to face her. "Deidara saved me when we were both just kids. He found me dying outside the village. I didn't have any memories of where I came from or who I was. Deidara took me in. He was always there for me and took care of me. When he left, he wanted me to go with him. I almost did, but…I'd grown to love the village so much…"

"So you two dated?" Itachi asked.

Mari blinked. She couldn't help the loud giggle that she let out. "Dated? Gross! No way! Deidara was always like a big brother to me!" Her smile disappeared. "About the bloodthirsty thing…"

"You don't have to talk about that now." Itachi said, already starting to walk away. He groaned as he suddenly felt Mari's arms wrapped around his shoulders. "Off. Now."

"Were you jealous, Itachi-chan?" Mari teased. She grinned as he shrugged her off and began walking away. "You were jealous! Don't worry, Itachi-chan! I'll wait patiently until you're ready to confess your love for me."

"I'm going to use you as a kunai shield." Itachi grit out. "Did you ever find out where you came from?"

Mari halted before she pounced on Itachi. Instead, she started walking beside him. "No. I tried. Tsuchikage even tried to find out. It doesn't really matter to me, though. I know who I am, and that's all that matters to me."

Itachi managed to keep himself from cracking a smile. "Come on. Let's go find Nagato."

Mari grinned. "Okay!"


	110. The Crow

**Sakura02: Haha…quite possibly ;) Hopefully this one won't be as messed up XD  
Phoenix: 1) Yes…Haruki is more than likely pregnant :) 2) Yes, Itachi was super jealous!**

**Thank you: Killer of thy Cookies, ZabuzasGirl, Saint River 2 . 0, XxanimeaddictxX, IgnitingFireworks, Evil. Little. Kittys, Kiho-Chyan, EvilxLittlexNinja, Aniwolfgirl, Misaki-chan98, katsekala, xXMiyakoXSasukeXx, meredith1999, SolitaryNyght, Alphonse Elric is a Cat Lover, xBUzzOFF15x, Deithefrenchfri, katandthehat, crazyquilt, RandomReader, Lavendor Queen, TartSourSweet, MaskedBeauty09, andGreyEyes1992 for reviewing!**

* * *

"Haruki…I really think you should consider going and seeing one of the medic-nins." Kakashi said after Haruki had to stop for the third time that morning to throw up.

Haruki waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine, Kakashi. Probably just something I ate…like ramen." She sighed when Kakashi gave her a dubious look. "I'm fine, Kakashi. Really. A little stomach bug isn't going to stop me from fighting."

"If you start feeling too sick…"

"Kakashi, I am a grown woman." Haruki interrupted with a smile. "I will go to the medic-nins if I feel like I need to." She rubbed at her stomach absentmindedly. It had finally started settling. Hopefully she would get over whatever she had soon.

xXx

The little trio had been running in relative silence since they'd left the Raikage and Tsunade. Emiko was beginning to feel ill. She silently hoped that she wouldn't have an attack. The middle of a war wasn't exactly the ideal place to start vomiting up blood.

"You okay?" Naruto asked worriedly. He could see how pale Emiko's face was. "Do you want us to take a break?"

Emiko rapidly shook her head. "No. I'm okay. We've got to hurry and help everyone."

Naruto chewed on his lip unsurely. "If you start to have an attack…"

"I'm fine, Naru-chan." Emiko assured. She went a little faster to catch up to Naruto so they were side by side. She flashed Naruto her most convincing smile. "Right now, helping everyone is what we need to focus on."

Reluctantly, Naruto nodded his head. "All right. I'm going to be keeping a close eye on you, though." He would've continued, but the sound of Shikaku's voice ringing through their heads made him pause.

_"Naruto, Bee-sama, Emiko, listen!" _Shikaku's voice was strong and clear in their minds, almost as though he were running right beside them. _"I have information on the enemy's battle strategy." _He told them of the strange white creatures that were able to disguise themselves as anyone.

Emiko's eyes widened, clear recognition on her face. "That's Zetsu! I didn't know he could make so many of himself!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "That must be the weird fuzzy things I've been sensing! I've just got to take them down, right?"

_"Yes!" _Shikaku answered. _"Remember that Madara is after the Biju inside of you and Bee-sama, Naruto. We still don't yet know what his intentions are for Emiko for his plan, but the three of you must be careful."_

"We won't get caught!" Emiko declared loudly, earning an affirmative nod from both Killer Bee and Naruto. "Hey, Shikaku-san…are my parents…"

_"They are both fine from the last report we received." _Shikaku answered, a small smile slipping through his voice.

Emiko couldn't help the wide grin that split across her face. Knowing her parents were all right gave her one less thing she had to worry about. "What about 'Tachi and Mari?"

Shikaku hesitated before speaking slowly. _"Itachi and Mari left their group after a skirmish. They were fine when they were last seen, but their whereabouts are currently unknown."_

Emiko's face fell, her stomach twisting into tight knots. "Oh…"

Naruto reached out and gently touched Emiko's cheek. He grinned at the little girl once she finally looked up at him. "They're fine. Itachi is super strong, and he won't let anything happen to Mari."

Emiko could feel the warmth of not only Naruto's hand, but Kyubi's chakra as well. She managed a barely perceptible smile. "You're right. Let's hurry up and kick Madara's butt!"

_"Be careful." _Shikaku warned. _"Madara is apparently immortal. We're not sure about Kabuto yet. Plants are taking on the appearance of people using the Shodai's cell. The risen dead can only be stopped by sealing them. You are facing an immortal army."_

Naruto smirked confidently. "That's the best news I've gotten all day. That means I don't have to hold back!"

Emiko perked up at the sight of a group of ninja running towards them. "Hey, maybe they can tell us…" She hesitated beside Killer Bee as Naruto took out the ninja closest to them. "Or not." She was shocked when the ninja transformed into a very familiar form. "'Tsu…"

Killer Bee pulled out two short swords. "Naruto, you're in charge. Tell us who to attack, Sarge!"

"All of them!" Naruto declared, already charging at a few startled looking ninja.

Emiko hesitated for only a moment. She loved Zetsu with all her heart. She vividly remembered all the time the two of them had spent together. She also remembered how she'd made a choice to side with Naruto and the others, and Zetsu had made a choice to side with Madara. They were on opposite sides of a war, fighting for the fate of the world. Steeling herself, Emiko prepared to charge forward and help Naruto with the remaining Zetsu. She was surprised when Naruto stopped both her and Killer Bee from going forward.

A moment later, a giant frog fell from the sky, crushing the remaining Zetsu. The giant frog said nothing, but simply nodded his head to Naruto.

"My shadow doppelganger and Gamahiro can stand watch over these guys. I'm going to send the rest of my doppelgangers to every single battlefield! Now, let's go!"

Emiko and Killer Bee quickly followed after the real Naruto while the rest of the doppelgangers dispersed. The twisting in Emiko's stomach had not stopped. She was beginning to feel weaker and weaker, but she refused to stop. She didn't care if she started coughing up blood, she was not going to stop running towards everyone. She was not going to be weak.

Naruto sensed something before either Killer Bee or Emiko did. He charged forward ahead of them. By the time Emiko and Killer Bee caught up, Naruto was already in the process of sealing up one of the Edotensei enemies. He straightened up after Killer Bee had explained to the two very confused ninja that Naruto had just saved what was going on. "Octopops, Emiko, we've gotta go." He paused when he saw how weak Emiko was looking. He could see her small body trembling, though she was doing her best to cover it up. "Emiko…"

"I'm fine, Naru-chan!" Emiko snipped out, refusing to look weak in front of the two stranger ninja. She yelped as Naruto abruptly hoisted her up into his arms. "Put me down, Naru-chan!"

Killer Bee waved goodbye to the still shocked shinobi and ran after Naruto with the loudly protesting Emiko in his arms.

"Ouch, Emiko!" Naruto avoided a foot to his face. He scowled down at the loudly protesting girl in his arms. "You're going to make me drop you!"

"Put me down right now, Naru-chan!" Emiko shrieked, beating her fist furiously against Naruto's chest. She didn't even care that her feeble attacks weren't even fazing Naruto. "I'm not a child anymore! Stop babying me!"

"You are a kid, though!" Naruto protested. He was relieved when this made Emiko pause. "You're only seven. I think you forget that sometimes, and the rest of us do too. You're about to pass out. Let me carry you so you can rest and get your energy back."

Emiko crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to look into Naruto's grinning blue eyes. "Fine. As long as no one else…" She paused as two very familiar chakras suddenly drew closer. "Naru-chan…"

"I know." Naruto gently put Emiko down on the ground. The trio continued a few more yards before coming face to face with another trio.

Emiko's eyes first fell on Itachi and Mari. She was relieved to see that Itachi and Mari were both all right and safe. Her heart skipped a few beats when she saw the third person leaning against Itachi for support. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She'd never thought she would get to see him again. He was smiling so kindly and gently at both her and Naruto. She'd never seen him with such an expression on his face before. "Papa…"

Nagato focused on Emiko first. She was no longer the little girl he'd raised. She was so young, but he could see the strength and determination shining fiercely in her deep onyx eyes. "I'm so proud of you, Emiko."

Emiko couldn't help the few tears that slipped down her cheeks. She wanted so badly to run to him, but she knew he was under the Edotensei technique. "I missed you so much, Papa."

Nagato watched Naruto tenderly wipe Emiko's tears away. "You're different, Naruto."

Naruto grinned proudly. "I can control Kyubi's chakra now."

"Really?" Mari asked in surprise. "That's amazing."

"He and I are students of the same master." Nagato said softly. "I'm not surprised at all. Have you overcome hate?"

"Yeah! You taught me what pain really was, and Octopops taught me how to handle the Waterfall of Truth." Naruto answered. "Emiko's helped me…and Ma and Pa…everyone I care about has helped me!" He turned his attention to Itachi. "Hey, I've got some questions to ask you."

Itachi suddenly felt something was horribly wrong with him. He didn't feel like he was in control of his own actions. "Mari, get away from me!"

"Itachi, what…?" Mari barely managed to leap out of the way as Itachi threw a kunai at her. She landed beside Emiko and the others. "What's going on, Itachi?"

Itachi didn't answer. He shot a ball of fire at the group. He watched in horror as the fire flew closer and closer to the group. He could see Emiko's trembling, and new she was on the brink of having an attack.

Mari quickly grabbed Emiko up into her arms and shielded her with her own body. She held the little girl close to her and gave her a shaky smile. "Are you okay, Emiko-chan?"

Emiko nodded numbly. The flames hadn't touched the group thanks to Killer Bee pulling out Samehada. Emiko looked over at Itachi. "What's wrong with 'Tachi?"

Mari didn't get a chance to answer. Nagato shouted a quick warning to the group. Mari shoved Emiko away from her and leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding Itachi's attack. "How are you being controlled, Itachi? You weren't brought back with the Edotensei!"

Itachi's attacks began to focus on Naruto. He rained punches down on the boy, each of them easily blocked. "I don't know!" He leapt away to avoid Killer Bee's attack and landed back beside Nagato.

Nagato felt his body moving, despite him willing it to do otherwise. He lifted Naruto into the air at the same time that he lifted a giant boulder. He brought the two into a collision course together.

"Papa, stop!" Emiko shouted.

"I can't, Em!" Nagato shouted back in answer. He was relieved when Naruto used Kyubi's chakra to destroy the boulder. "Nice move, Naruto!"

"You'll have to take care of Sasuke." Itachi said to Naruto. For the time being, it seemed whoever was controlling them didn't have a use for him. He glanced over at Mari who was now kneeling beside Emiko. "Mari, are you and Emiko all right?"

Mari nodded slowly. "We're okay! Itachi, what is going on? They shouldn't be able to control you!"

"I don't know, Mari! Just keep yourself and Emiko away from me!" He disappeared and reappeared behind Killer Bee. "Behind you!"

Nagato summoned a very frightening giant bird and two headed dog.

Emiko let out a small wail. "What are those things, Papa?" She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to fight either Nagato or Itachi. Both were fighting against their wills. She had always wanted so badly to see her Papa since the last time she'd gotten to see him. This wasn't how she'd pictured their reunion, though. She looked first over at Killer Bee fighting, and then over at where Naruto was fighting the giant dog, which now had even more heads. "What should I do, Mari?"

"I think we best stay out of their way." Mari said softly, very much unlike herself. "Those two will never forgive themselves if they hurt you. Just have faith in Naruto." She looked up and saw that Itachi had broken away from Killer Bee and was now on top of the giant bird with Nagato. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw his eyes. "Naruto, he's activating his Mangekyo Sharingan!"

Naruto opened his mouth to respond, and gagged. Something was stuck in his throat. He coughed and hacked until something began coming up. He glanced down and was shocked to see a crow coming out of his mouth.

"What is that?" Emiko asked in alarm. "Why is there a crow coming out of Naru-chan's mouth?"

Itachi allowed a relieved smile to cross his face. "I put it there."


	111. Goodbye Again

**Guest: I'm sorry, the web address didn't show up. Could you please send it again? You'll have to put spaces between each period.  
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"Why would you put a crow in Naru-chan's mouth, 'Tachi?" Emiko asked in alarm. She rushed over to Naruto with Mari close on her heels. She stood on her tiptoes and patted Naruto's back soothingly.

Naruto wiped his mouth. He warily watched the crow flying rapidly towards Itachi. He vaguely remembered running into Itachi, and Itachi having done something strange. He thought it had all been a genjutsu.

Nagato looked over at Itachi, curious as to what was going on. His eyes widened and he quickly turned his attention back to Emiko and Naruto. "Emiko, Naruto, he's using Amaterasu!"

Mari grabbed both Naruto and Emiko by their arms, ready to yank them out of harm's way. She was surprised when nothing happened. She warily eyed the crow as it landed on Naruto's shoulder. "What is going on?"

Itachi turned his Amaterasu on Nagato and the dog and bird he'd summoned. He landed on the ground beside Mari and the others. He held a hand up when Mari crouched down. "It's okay. I'm not being controlled anymore. I placed the crow in Naruto to order me to protect Konoha."

"Is Papa okay?" Emiko asked worriedly. She hadn't seen where Nagato had landed.

"He'll be all right. We need to focus on freeing him from the Edotensei's control." Itachi answered. He reached out and gently stroked Emiko's cheek. "What are you doing here? You should be on the island with Naruto, keeping him safe."

Emiko reached up and hugged Itachi tightly. "I was, but Naru-chan figured out what was going on. I was worried about you, and Mommy, and Daddy. Do you know if they're okay?"

Itachi shook his head. He tilted Emiko's chin up when she looked down dejectedly. "I'm sure they're fine. Your mother and father are some of the best shinobi I know." He turned his attention to Mari as Naruto began reassuring Emiko. "Are you all right?"

Mari grinned at the Uchiha. "I'm fine. You did good at not hurting any of us. It's so nice to know that you care."

Emiko looked around suddenly, sensing a sharp spike in chakra. "Um, I think I found Papa…"

Itachi barely had time to grab Mari and shield her body with his to protect her from flying trees. He glanced up and was relieved to see that Naruto had grabbed Emiko and was protecting the little girl.

"Where's Bee-san?" Emiko asked frantically.

The group looked around, trying to regain their bearings and sense where Nagato and Killer Bee were. Naruto was the first to get a lock on the two. He rushed off without saying anything to the others.

"Hurry, we have to…" Itachi flinched, and touched the back of his leg. He brought his hand close to his face to see that there was blood on his fingertips.

Mari looked down and gasped. There was a rather nasty looking gash just inches from Itachi's Achilles tendon. "You're hurt!"

"'Tachi!" Emiko cried out in alarm.

Itachi sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. Both of you, stop being so dramatic." He attempted to take a step forward. He managed to keep the hiss of pain in, but couldn't hide his wince.

"Sit down and let me take care of it, Itachi." Mari said softly, already digging through her bag for bandages and healing ointments.

"I'm fine." Itachi grit out.

Mari put her hands on her hips, and scowled. "Either you sit down yourself, or I knock you down. You're sitting down and letting me take care of that wound either way." She grinned triumphantly as the Uchiha muttered curses under his breath, but complied.

Emiko giggled. "You two are funny." She looked off to her side at the sound of trees falling. She couldn't see what was going on, but she knew Killer Bee and Naruto were fighting her Papa. "I'm going to go help Naru-chan and Bee-san!"

"Emiko, wait!" Itachi attempted to follow after the stubborn child. He was stopped by Mari placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let me go, Mari!" He hissed, giving Mari his best Uchiha glare.

"Not until I've at least bandaged up your leg." Mari said, completely unfazed by the snarling Uchiha. She'd never had the full force of an Uchiha glare turned on her, and she hoped this was the last time she ever did. "You're not going to be any help bleeding all over the place. So you just sit still and shut up while I take care of you."

Itachi scowled, but slouched back down. "Hurry."

"She's going to be okay." Mari consoled. She was glad to see the wound wasn't that deep after she cleaned the initial blood away. "If she's anything like you or her parents, she'll be okay. It seems like she's grown up around nothing but stubborn people."

Itachi cracked a small smile, though Mari didn't see it. Once she was done, he stood up. "Thank you."

Mari tapped her cheek with a coy grin on her face. "One kiss will be enough payment." She pouted as Itachi simply leapt off after Emiko and the others. "Jerk…"

Emiko reached Naruto in time to see someone pulling something out of Naruto. She didn't see Killer Bee anywhere. It took her a moment to realize that the other person was in fact Nagato, simply as he had been when he was younger. "Papa, what are you doing to Naru-chan? Let him go!" She charged towards Nagato. At the last moment, she saw something flying towards her out of the corner of her eye. Emiko leapt into the air and threw multiple kunai at whatever it was that had tried to attack her.

She landed a few feet away and looked at her would-be attacker. A giant lizard like creature eyed her. She glanced over at Naruto again. "Naru-chan, are you okay?" She briefly tore her eyes from Naruto as a giant face rumbled up from the ground. "What's that?"

"It's Reviver Pain's jutsu." Naruto managed to grit out. "He's stealing my life force away!"

"Papa, stop!" Emiko once again tried to rush forward, but was stopped by Nagato's summoned creatures. She focused on attacking them with kunai. She could hear Killer Bee joining the fray behind her, but couldn't take her eyes off the creatures. They were constantly swiping at her. She blinked as kunai that were not her own embedded into the soft irises of the creatures. Emiko yelped as arms wrapped around her and pulled her a short distance away. She looked up, ready to attack. "Mari!"

Mari grinned down at the little girl. "Sorry it took us so long! Itachi is such a crybaby."

"Now is not the time, Mari." Itachi frowned. He had his Susano creature put down both Naruto and Killer Bee on the ground. "We need to end this quickly."

Emiko tugged on Mari's arm, and pointed up into the air. "What's that?"

They all looked up to see Nagato had thrown a large black sphere into the air. The ground began quivering, and breaking up. Emiko yelped and held on tightly to Mari as the ground beneath them began to rise up into the air. "What's going on?"

"That sphere seems to have quite a gravitational pull." Itachi commented offhandedly.

"Are all Uchiha always this calm?" Mari shouted over at Itachi.

Naruto gripped the ground beneath him tightly. "He used this jutsu on me once before. It's really bad! If you get caught in it, you're done for!"

Itachi looked curiously at Naruto. "If it's such a sure death, how are you still alive, Naruto?"

Killer Bee laughed lightly, despite the fact that they were slowly getting closer and closer to the growing sphere. "We'll be all right! We'll get through this fight!"

"Stop joking about this kind of stuff!" Emiko wailed, holding on tighter to Mari. "We're about to get smushed to death, and you're still rapping!"

"That's enough, everyone." Itachi said calmly. "One must always be calm in order to analyze the situation. I think the black sphere Nagato just threw is the central point of this jutsu. If we destroy it, the jutsu will end. The five of us need to throw our strongest long distance jutsus at it."

"I can't aim that good, 'Tachi!" Emiko exclaimed, loosening her grip slightly on Mari.

Itachi gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Emiko. It'll hit even if you don't aim. This tactic takes advantage of the core's gravitational pull. Every jutsu has a weak point. You just have to find it."

"All right!" Killer Bee howled, already in his Jinchuriki form.

"Chimamire Kyoufuu!" Emiko's shout blended with the others, all of them sending their attacks hurtling towards the sphere. A large cloud of dust was kicked up, and Emiko was unable to see anything. When the smoke cleared, she saw that the Nagato had been pierced by Susano's sword.

"Papa!" Emiko cried out and rushed towards Nagato. None of the others tried to stop her.

Nagato's eyes cleared, and he was once again in control. He caught Emiko in a hug and stroked her hair. He smiled as she buried her face in his cloak. He could feel her body trembling, and hear her small sniffles. "It's all right, Emiko. I was already dead. This is how things should be."

Emiko's grip on Nagato tightened. "I don't want to see you die again. Don't go…stay…"

Nagato tilted Emiko's chin up. He doubted the little girl could see him very well through her tears. "I can't." He wiped most of her tears away. "Be strong. I'm so sorry you're having to live through such a terrible war."

Emiko managed to smile up at Nagato. His skin was slowly turning into what looked like bits of paper, reminding her of Konan, and how much she missed her mother. "It's okay. Everyone is fighting together this time. I love you, Papa."

Nagato smiled. "I love you too, Emiko." He released her and looked over at Naruto. "I will return to our Sensei's side, Naruto, and I will continue to watch your adventures. You are the final volume of the trilogy. Jiraiya was the perfect opening act. The middle volume…me…was a complete dud. It's one that not even Sensei would acknowledge. The success or failure of a series depends on the final volume. You must be the masterpiece that finishes this trilogy and is so amazing that no one remembers the failure that was me." He smiled again as Naruto gave him a thumbs up sign. "Farewell."

Emiko sniffled and went over to Itachi as Nagato disappeared. Again, she'd had to say goodbye to her papa. "He seemed happier this time…"

Naruto clenched his fist at his side. "I hate this Edotensei jutsu! It makes you fight people that you don't want to!"

Itachi looked first at Naruto's furious face, and then at Emiko's heartbroken one. "I'll stop the Edotensei. I leave Madara to the rest of you."

"No!" Naruto protested. "I already said I'll stop it, so I will!" He attempted to make doppelgangers of himself, but only managed to make another one. He was also no longer in his Kyubi mode.

"You need to rest, Naru-chan." Emiko said softly.

Naruto stubbornly shook his head. "I'll stop this war by myself! I can take it all on! It's my duty!"

Itachi looked at Naruto thoughtfully for a moment. "You are stronger, and you do have much more power. However, you're forgetting something important. You yourself told me that it was everyone that cared about you that made it possible for you to be where you are now. If you forget that…if you become so powerful that you don't remember why it is that you are strong now, you'll eventually become like Madara. Your father was a great Hokage because of your mother and those around him. You share his goal, don't you? Only those who are already recognized and admired can become Hokage. Never forget your friends."

"I'll go wherever you go, Naru-chan!" Emiko declared. "My mission is to protect you, and I'm going to see it through to the end!"

Killer Bee nodded his head, showing his agreement with Emiko.

Mari whistled. "Wow. That's the most I've ever heard you talk, Itachi."

Naruto looked at the four people around him. "You're right…I thought I had to do it alone." He looked down when he felt Emiko holding his hand.

Emiko grinned widely up at him. "You never have to be alone, Naru-chan. You've got all of us."

Naruto returned Emiko's grin with one of his own. "Thanks, Emiko." He blinked as Itachi's crow suddenly went up in black flames. "What's going on?"

"Those eyes won't work for another ten years. You won't be able to use them against Sasuke." Itachi explained. "You can stop Sasuke without the eye."

"You can talk to him, though!" Naruto protested. "Maybe this time…"

Itachi shook his head, and smiled sadly. "I tried to do everything on my own. I failed. This time, I leave the task to his friend." He wrapped an arm around when she hugged him. "Be careful."

Emiko nodded. She stood on her tiptoes and tugged on Itachi's cloak until he leaned down enough for her to kiss him on the cheek. "You too."

"Mari…" Itachi glanced over at the woman, and quickly stopped talking.

Mari glared over at him, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm not going with them. I'm going with you. You just gave an epic speech about not doing everything on your own, but you're still trying to do just that. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not." She braced herself, waiting for an argument. She was surprised when Itachi simply sighed.

"You're right." Itachi acquiesced. He didn't say anything as Mari grinned and skipped over to him, while Emiko walked back to join Naruto and Killer Bee.

Mari was about to tease Itachi, but was rather surprised when his hand reached out and brushed briefly and gently against her own. A light pink dusted her cheeks, but she simply continued to grin.

"Don't worry, 'Tachi. Bee-san and I will protect Naru-chan." Emiko assured.

"And I'll protect her." Naruto promised when Itachi looked over to him. The trio stood and watched Mari and Itachi until the two shinobi disappeared from sight. After a moment's silence, Naruto had regained enough strength to go back into Kyubi mode. "Let's go, Octopops, Emiko."


	112. Battlefield

**I am so sorry for the long wait between updates! School comes before everything else, even my own writing. I'll try to update more frequently. I've only got one more year of college, and the workload is definitely starting to kick my butt.**

**LeoInuyuka: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy my stories!  
Sakura02: You knew it would eventually happen!**

**Thanks: Kiho-Chyan, MaskedBeauty09, akatsukifangirl, ZabuzasGirl, CheshireGhosty, XxanimeaddictxX, Saint River 2.0, smokeyuchiha, EvilxLittlexNinja, Phoenix, Kacie, katsekala, Kajiko, digilover23, Random Fan, FrozenFlamingFire, Midorixitachi, Arch The Ripper, ownerl, and neko-kitsune88 for reviewing!**

* * *

"Emiko…"

"Be quiet, Naru-chan." Emiko snapped impatiently. "I'm concentrating."

Naruto was quiet for a few minutes. They'd left Killer Bee a ways back, since he'd insisted he had to stop to go to the bathroom. Naruto glanced over at Emiko, and couldn't help cracking a small smile despite their current situation. "Emiko, you look like you need to go to the bathroom."

Emiko flushed, and glared over at Naruto. "Shut up! I've never created a doppelganger before! It's harder than you make it look!"

Naruto grinned over at her. "Sorry, Emiko. You really don't have to help me. Save your strength."

Emiko quickly shook her head. "No way! I want to help you, even if it's only on one of the battlefields. Besides, I want to see Gaa-chan again." She ignored Naruto's snigger and turned her focus back to sending chakra to her doppelganger.

xXx

Gaara couldn't believe what he was seeing. When Naruto called for his help, Gaara sent some sand to help Naruto deal with the Second Tsuchikage. He didn't even notice Emiko at first until she managed to blast the Second Tsuchikage over towards Ōnoki. Gaara briefly ignored the two in order to trap the Second Tsuchikage and seal him away.

"Good work, Gaa-chan!" Emiko cheered. She rushed over and hugged the still shocked Kazekage.

Naruto nodded in agreement. He shot a thumbs up sign over to Ōnoki. "You too, Gramps!"

"I'm the Tsuchikage! Show some respect!" Ōnoki snapped irritably.

"What are you two doing here?" Gaara finally snapped. He tugged on Emiko's hair until the little girl looked guiltily up at him. "You were supposed to keep him on the island!"

"Hey, don't blame her." Naruto's grin didn't waver at all. "You really think she could keep me on that island once I decided to leave?"

"I'm still doing my job." Emiko protested, hugging on to Gaara's arm. "I'm with the real Naru-chan right now, and I'm protecting him. I'm not going to let Madara get him. I thought you trusted me, Gaa-chan."

Gaara sighed at the sight of Emiko's watery eyes. "Stop it. You two better explain to me what's going on!"

_"I will do the explaining." _Shikaku said in all of their minds.

Ōnoki groaned in annoyance. "Fine, but we need to head to the next battlefield. Explain it to us on the way."

Gaara helped Emiko up onto his sand cloud. He quickly followed after Naruto and Ōnoki. He listened quietly as Shikaku explained everything. He absently stroked her hair while she continued to cling to him. He glanced over at Naruto briefly. "Naruto, we're grateful to you for going to each battlefield and identifying the enemy, but is it really safe for you to use the Kyubi's chakra?"

"It's okay." Emiko assured. "Naru-chan is doing really good at controlling the Kyubi's chakra, and I'm going to protect him."

Naruto grinned over at Gaara. "I won't die until I become the Hokage. Just because you're the Kazekage doesn't mean you get to treat me like I'm still a kid." Naruto turned his attention back forward. "Emiko and I will go to the right. Gaara and Gramps, you two go to the left."

Emiko reached up and wrapped her arms around Gaara's neck. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Be careful, Gaa-chan."

Gaara nodded. He moved a stray strand of hair from Emiko's face. "You too."

Emiko leapt off the sand cloud and began following after Naruto. "I want this war to be over…"

"I know." Naruto said quietly. "We'll end this soon, and then we can all go home." He finally found the battlefield they had been heading for. "Let's go, Emiko!"

Emiko landed beside Naruto just in front of the army. She looked across the field at who their opponent was, and immediately shrank back. "Maybe I should've gone with Gaa-chan." The Third Raikage was even more intimidating than the current Raikage.

Naruto grinned over at her, already summoning a Rasen-Shuriken. "I'll handle this Emiko. You just stay back here and hide."

"No way!" Emiko glared over at Naruto. She summoned her wind blades. "I'll help distract him for you."

"Don't get too close to him." Naruto shot his Rasen-Shuriken at the Third Raikage.

Emiko rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. She rushed forward, but made sure to keep out of the Third Raikage's range. While Naruto focused on trying to hit the Raikage, Emiko mostly tried to keep the Raikage distracted and off-balance.

"Emiko, get back!" Naruto shouted.

Emiko immediately leapt back a few feet behind Naruto. She crouched on the ground, watching as Naruto finally managed to hit the Raikage with his attack. "All right, Naru-chan!"

"Sealing Team, hurry!" Temari ordered.

A man that Emiko didn't know stepped forward. He had an eye patch over his left eye. "The look in Raikage-sama's eyes have changed. He's being completely controlled now." He stiffened as the Raikage held up four fingers cloaked in lightning. "Everyone, get back! Earth Ninjutsu users, create a wall!"

Emiko yelped as the man suddenly grabbed her by the collar of her dress. She was roughly thrown to the ground right beside Naruto on the other side of the wall. She rubbed her head, and huffed. "What's he doing?" She asked. She could hear the sound of the Raikage hitting the giant wall on the other side.

"It is Raikage-sama's most powerful attack." The man answered. "Everyone, get as far away as possible while you still can!"

A few shinobi didn't bother listening to him. They stood by the wall, hoping to attack the Raikage as soon as he broke through the wall. The man once again grabbed Emiko and Naruto. He managed to get them out of the way just as the Raikage broke through the wall.

Emiko peered over the rock they had landed on, and was shocked to see that all the shinobi that hadn't moved were unconscious. "How are we supposed to beat that guy? He's really strong!"

The man clicked his tongue nervously at the sight of the Raikage holding up only three fingers. "The fewer fingers he uses, the more energy and power behind his attacks. He is the only shinobi that has ever been able to go up against a Biju unarmored and unarmed. He is impenetrable."

Naruto looked nervously down at the Raikage. He suddenly perked up. "If he's impenetrable, then what's that scar?"

Emiko had to squint to be able to see the scar. "How'd he get that?"

"Raikage-sama once tried to stop the Hachibi by himself. He said it was the greatest shame of his life, but not even the current Raikage-sama knows the details." The man answered.

"So, Hachi-chan gave him that scar?" Emiko asked curiously.

Naruto wasn't listening to Emiko and the man's conversation. He was focused on attempting to make a Biju Bomb. He gasped, and the Kyubi chakra that had been wrapped around him disappeared.

"Naru-chan, are you okay?" Emiko touched Naruto's arm lightly.

"I need to get in contact with Killer Bee…" Naruto muttered.

"I can help you with that." The man said. "I am with the Communication Corps. I'll link you up with Yamanaka Inoichi connect you with Bee."

Emiko wasn't aware they were in any danger until she heard Temari shouting. They were suddenly falling, the rock they had been standing on now nothing more than falling rubble. She felt Naruto's arms wrapping around her, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the lightning enclosed fist heading straight towards them. Suddenly, they were wrapped in a large rubber ball, and then both were roughly yanked out. Emiko sat on the ground behind the boulder, dazed and a bit confused.

"You okay, Emiko?" Naruto whispered. He held Emiko's face between his hands and gently tilted her face every which way to check for wounds.

"I'm okay." Emiko finally answered shakily. "What just happened?"

"He made it look like we were inside the rubber ball, but then pulled us out." Naruto explained. The Raikage is chasing after the rubber ball now."

The man looked over at Naruto. "You must speak with Killer Bee quickly. Raikage-sama will catch on in no time."

Emiko rocked nervously back on her heels while Naruto spoke with Bee. She looked over and quickly pulled on Naruto's sleeve. "He's coming back, Naru-chan."

"Emiko, you stay back with Bendy Guy." Naruto said, going straight into Sage Mode and creating another doppelganger. "I want to try something."

Emiko would've protested if it weren't for the look in Naruto's eyes. She reluctantly nodded. "Be careful." She stayed behind the boulder with the man and watched Naruto. She wasn't sure what it was he planned to do.

Naruto charged forward with his Rasengan ready. Instead of trying to hit the Raikage, he used the Rasengan to force the Raikage's lightning encased hand up towards the Raikage's chest. He leapt back as the Sealing Team sealed the Raikage away.

"You did it, Naru-chan!" Emiko cheered. She latched onto Naruto and grinned up at him. "So, Hachi-chan didn't give him the scar. He gave the scar to himself!"

Naruto grinned and nodded. "Yeah. Hachibi told me that they both fell forward, still ready to attack. I just assumed and hoped it would work." He ruffled Emiko's hair. "You ready for the next battle?"

"Let's go!" Emiko exclaimed.


	113. Madara

**akasukifangirl: Emiko is now seven, almost eight.  
Sakura02: Hey! I'm trying to get back on a regular schedule!  
katsekala: I blame it on all the ramen.**

**Thanks: XxanimeaddictxX, ZabuzasGirl, MaskedBeauty09, digilover23, Aniwolfgirl, RippahGoneWolf, Karuta, EvilxLittlexNinja, Guest, Phoenix, and azuki. nakano for reviewing! **

* * *

"I think Gaa-chan is over there…" Emiko pointed over in the direction a loud explosion had just come from. She rushed straight towards the explosion, eager to get to the next battle. She reached Gaara before Naruto did. "Gaa-chan!"

Gaara managed to keep his focus on the former Mizukage he was currently helping to seal. He wrapped one arm around Emiko's shoulders. "How did the fight on your end go?"

Emiko grinned up at Gaara, even though he wasn't looking at her. "Naru-chan beat the Raikage! They sealed him away, and we won! It was really easy!"

Naruto finally landed beside the two. He playfully glared at Emiko, and poked her cheek. "You didn't do anything! I did all the work!"

"I helped!" Emiko protested. She looked up when she heard someone laughing. "Gaa-chan, he doesn't have any eyebrows, just like you!"

The Mizukage laughed again. "It's good to see that you have such good friends, Kazekage!"

Gaara looked first over at Naruto, and then down at the little girl clinging to him. He cracked a small smile, and squeezed Emiko's shoulder. He looked back up when Emiko fixed him with a curious look. "I know." He said as the Mizukage was completely sealed away. He released Emiko as soon as the rest of his group rushed over. "Relay our status to Headquarters."

Emiko glanced over at the Tsuchikage as he approached. She noticed how he was slightly hunched over, and trying to conceal a wince of pain. "Are you okay, Ji-chan?"

The Tsuchikage glared halfheartedly at the little girl. "Shut up, you. I'm just fine."

Gaara turned his attention back to Emiko and Naruto. "So, if the two of you are doppelgangers, where are your originals?"

xXx

"It's about time you caught up!" Emiko huffed at Killer Bee once he finally rejoined him. "It doesn't take that long to go to the bathroom!"

Killer Bee just grinned over at the little girl. He turned his attention back to Naruto. "One of your doppelgangers contacted me earlier. How are the rest doing?"

"They should all be arriving at the other battlefields by now." Naruto answered, focusing on moving forward.

Emiko huffed in annoyance. "I don't see why you wouldn't let me make another doppelganger. I could've gone and seen Mommy and Daddy."

"You're the one that chose to send your doppelganger to help Gaara." Naruto reminded. "My doppelganger will let Kakashi-sensei and Haruki-sensei that you're okay."

xXx

"How are you doing, Sai-kun?" Haruki stood protectively in front of Sai, blocking any enemy attacks that came his way.

Sai put his brush down, and quickly summoned one of his drawn tigers. "I'm all right, Haruki-san." He didn't flinch as Lee kicked yet another incoming enemy away.

Lee glanced over at Haruki. "Are you all right, Haruki-sensei? You were not feeling well earlier…"

Haruki waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine. Just a little nauseous." She turned her attention back to where Kakashi and Gai were fighting. Kakashi was hiding something from her. He'd received information from Headquarters earlier, but hadn't shared the information with her. Whatever it was he'd learned, Haruki could tell it had him worried. "Here come more of those white creatures…" She vaguely remembered Emiko calling those creatures Zetsu. How she missed her daughter! She wanted nothing more than for this war to be over, so she could go home with Kakashi and do nothing but cuddle him and Emiko for weeks.

Kakashi's face lit up when one of Naruto's doppelgangers landed in front of him and Gai. "Here's our reinforcement."

"Naruto-kun?" Haruki asked in disbelief. "I thought you were supposed to be on the island!" She could see Kakashi tensing up from her spot behind him. "Kakashi, if Naruto isn't on the island anymore, where's Emiko?"

"She's okay, Haruki-sensei." Naruto reassured. "She's with me and Killer Bee. She misses both of you."

Kakashi could feel Haruki glaring at him, even though he couldn't see her. "I didn't think I should worry you. You haven't been feeling well…"

"If anything happens to my baby…" Haruki hissed out, causing both Naruto and Kakashi to shudder. She cracked her knuckles and glared at the incoming Zetsus. "Let's hurry up and finish this."

xXx

"Itachi, we need to rest. You need to rest!" Mari latched onto Itachi's arm, and managed to stop him. His glare didn't faze her in the slightest, and she fixed him with one of her own. "I can do that too. It may not be as scary as an Uchiha's glare, but it works just fine. You're bleeding again."

"I'm fine." Itachi snapped back, though he didn't try and yank his arm from Mari's grasp. He sighed and slumped almost imperceptibly. "Fine. Ten minutes. We don't have time to waste."

Mari immediately pulled out some fresh bandages. She waited impatiently for Itachi to sit down on the large branch they'd landed on. Once he finally did, she removed the old bandages. "It's looking better…" She said quietly.

Itachi didn't say anything. He quietly observed Mari cleaning the wound, and changing his bandages. He could feel how soft her hands were as she wrapped the bandage around his leg. He'd never paid much attention before to how her slightly tanned skin contrasted with his pale skin. It took him a moment to realize she'd stopped moving, and that she was looking at him with her curious and bright green eyes.

It wasn't often that Uchiha were caught by surprise. The fact that Mari managed to do just that didn't bother Itachi. He was more focused on her kissing him, and her small hands holding onto his shoulders.

Just as quickly as Mari kissed him, she had pulled away and was standing up. "Ten minutes are up." Mari said. She poked Itachi in the head when he didn't immediately stand up. "You okay, Itachi? You're not mad are you?" She flinched as Itachi stood up without a word. "Itachi?"

It was Itachi's turn to surprise Mari. He caught her up in his arms, and gave her a quick chaste kiss. He looked down at Mari, onyx eyes meeting green. He smirked when she didn't say anything. "This is the quietest that you've ever been."

Mari huffed, and lightly punched Itachi in the arm. "Shut up." She grinned wickedly up at him, the shock finally wearing off. "You like me."

Itachi flicked her forehead, and released her. He began heading back in the direction they'd been going. He tried to ignore Mari's happy giggling, but he couldn't help occasionally glancing over at her to take in her happy and content smile.

xXx

Emiko tugged frantically on Gaara's sleeves when she noticed two ninja standing at the top of the hill. "Gaa-chan, we've got company."

Ōnoki smirked. "Looks like Madara finally decided to show up."

Emiko frowned. She squinted against the bright sunlight to try and see the man standing beside Mu. He had long black hair, and wore armor. Even from this distance, she could see the blood red sharingan of his eyes. "That's not Madara…at least, that's not the same person that was part of Akatsuki."

"That's definitely Madara, though." Ōnoki insisted.

Gaara squinted as well. "He has the eyes of one summoned by Edotensei, which means he's dead."

Temari suddenly gasped. "Headquarters just confirmed less than an hour ago that Madara was on the move with a group of Edotensei Jinchuriki!"

Emiko frowned up at the man that was casually observing all of them. He definitely was not Tobi, the person that Emiko had once loved. He was not the person that had claimed to be Madara. "So, if this is the real Madara, who is Tobi?"


End file.
